Crimson Tears
by BelleDayNight
Summary: A castle with a mystery, will award winning journalist Kaoru Kamiya and Detective Aoshi Shinomori solve the mystery of the Battousai or die trying? Aoshi x Kaoru x Saitou
1. Hook

Crimson Tears:         An Aoshi/Kaoru fanfiction

A castle with a mystery, will award winning journalist Kaoru Kamiya and Detective Aoshi Shinomori solve the mystery of the Battousai or die trying?

(******Disclaimer****** Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me.  ~Belle)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Award winning journalist, Kaoru Kamiya, shifted through the various files and folders on her cluttered desk.  Her office was the epitome of order and cleanliness as long as that desk wasn't included.  She often worked with the homicide division of NYPD and had been provided with some files on the Battousai case.

            Back when she was still on the force, two years ago, the Battousai case had become her obsession.  All her free time was dedicated towards it.  Eventually, because of the fixation she had decided to turn in her badge and become a journalist.  

            However, she remained active in crime solving.  Her articles often provided police more clues to the identity of the perpetrators because with her keen eye her attention to detail was superior to most.  Kaoru was sort of a professional puzzle solver.  Whenever a tricky case presented itself, Chief Hajime Saito would solicit her insight.

            It was a mutually beneficial relationship between old friends.  Kaoru got first dibs on hot stories and then Hajime had access to her incomparable crime solving skills.  Skills that he sorely missed when she left the force for more than one reason.

            A familiar, steady handed knock rapped upon Kaoru's front door, but she was so wrapped up in her papers she paid it no heed.  Chief Saito entered with a grave expression on his face as he unlocked the front door with the spare key entrusted to his possession.  He walked into Kaoru's apartment and headed for the second bedroom which was converted into her office.

            He noticed the young woman absorbed in a mountain of files and papers.  Her long, dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail and her normally piercing sapphire eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

            Since the woman seemed to ignore his presence he walked right in front of her and stole the report she was reading out of her hands.  She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

            "Kaoru, I have an assignment for you," the wolf told her in his typical serious tone.   Kaoru sighed as she tried to snatch back the report from Saito's grasp.  "You know I'm not a detective anymore.  I'm a free-lance journalist now," she informed him.

            "I know very well what you have become and am still disappointed that you turned in your badge to be a writer.  The fact remains that you are one of the best and I need you."  He leaned across her desk and narrowed his amber eyes at her.

            Kaoru relaxed into the back of her leather chair and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  "Fine, but I'm only going to do it because you saved my life.  What's the assignment?"

            Saito smirked, he knew she would agree.  "It's related to the Battousai case."  His smirk almost turned into a full-grown smile at how fast Kamiya snapped to attention.  To say she was consumed by the case would be putting it mildly.

            "I have four invitations to attend a sort of game being held by the British lord, Enishi Yukishiro.  He is opening up his castle for two weeks inviting crime writers, forensic scientists, detectives, and generally eccentric guests from around the world.  A crime will be staged and the first team to solve the mystery wins."  Saito explained calmly as he locked his fingers together and inverted them to crack his knuckles, a habit he knew Kaoru hated.

            "So how did I merit such an invitation?"  Kaoru inquired, ignoring his obvious gesture to annoy her.

            "I'm in charge of picking the American team.  I'm choosing you as the writer, Dr. Megumi Takani, you may have met her.  She's the forensic scientist that started in your department the week before you left.  Special Forces Detective Aoshi Shinomori from LAPD and boxing superstar Sanosuke Sagara will also be on the squad."  Saito ticked off each name with his fingers.

            "Doesn't this sound a little odd to you?"  Kaoru asked, the whole idea of a game solving a murder was always the plot line to some novel where wackos found an excuse to kill off unsuspecting participants.  "Besides, don't you hate Sano?  Why aren't you going?"

            "Of course this sounds fishy, which is why I believe that the Battousai will be there as well.  I would prefer to go myself but apparently, Yukishiro chose me to pick the team and that disqualifies me from attending personally.  This whole thing is highly suspicious.  Why was I chosen out of all America to build the team?  I'd like to think it's my reputation but I believe there is something more to it."  Saito confided, as he sat down upon the edge of her desk and idly examined the lone picture frame on the desktop.  It was a picture of her younger brother.

            "I'd have to agree that this is highly suspicious.  Why did you pick Sano again?"  Kaoru asked him with a grin.  She knew Hajime and the rooster head didn't get along at all.

            Calmly, Saito placed the frame back on the desk and stood before answering.  "Dr. Takani refused to partake unless I invited Sagara."

            "I see.  So when does all this take place?"  Kaoru inquired as she stretched out her arms and popped the cricks out of her neck from sitting at her desk for so long.

            Saito laughed at her then.  "I also came by here to help you pack.  Your flight leaves in one hour."  He began to walk towards the closet in the converted second bedroom to search for the suitcase he knew she stored there.

            "What!?!  What do you mean I have one hour!"  Kaoru shouted as she rose to her feet and stared at the man in shock.

            "Hurry up, the rest of your team is already waiting at the airport."  He finally found the suitcase and pulled it out and then walked to the room next door and dropped it on top of her bed.  "You might want to help me pack.  I don't remember where you keep your clothes."  He called while opening and closing various drawers and inspecting the contents with pleasure.

            Kaoru stomped into the room, face livid with anger.  "Hajime Saito!!!!  What do you think you are doing!??"  Saito grinned in amusement.  He missed messing with the Tanuki.  It was so entertaining getting her riled up.  

            "Well, I did spend most of the time removing your clothes, not putting them up," his amber eyes twinkled in merriment from watching her temper flare.

            "I can't believe I ever dated you," Kaoru muttered under her breath as she opened her closet and pulled out some outfits, trying to find nice pantsuits, casual attire, and a few formal dresses.

            "You didn't just date me.  We were engaged, unless you have forgotten.  Say, what's this?"  Saito lifted up a pair of red silk panties and dangled them off his index finger before her nose.  "This is familiar.  Have I seen you in these before?"  He couldn't resist teasing.

            Kaoru snatched them off his finger and tossed them into the suitcase before pushing him out of the way to pack her things alone.  Saito walked out of her room and stood by the front door to wait.  "I'll be by the door, if you aren't finished packing in twenty minutes I'm doing it for you."

            "Power-hungry, masochist, stupid wolf of man," Kaoru muttered as she rushed to her bathroom to throw in her toiletries.  She only hoped that she would get along with Detective Shinomori.  Megumi and she tolerated one another and she fought with Sano like he was her big brother.  She allowed a small smile to grace her face.  At least she wouldn't have to deal with her ex-fiance on this trip.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC


	2. Line

Crimson Tears: Chapter 2  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
His features were chiseled in the same fashion as Michelangelo's David. The man looked as if he was the perfected marble statue that a sculptor slaved his best years of life over. He possessed an untouchable quality and yet was desired by women and men alike. However, he gave neither his attention. Life was too precarious for him to risk attachment.  
  
He once had four dear friends but in a moment of time all four of their lives were extinguished. He was a teenager when it happened and they were driving to his house to pick him up for an evening at the arcade. In those days he had been carefree. He was told they all died instantly on impact, but the thought failed to comfort him.  
  
He leaned his staggering six foot three well muscled body against the wall at the airport trying to ignore the New Yorkers that were hustling around him. His dark bangs fell over his ice blue eyes as he scanned the crowd for Saito.  
  
Why had he agreed to do this again? He sighed at his own weakness. He should have refused, but Saito had called in the favor that Aoshi owed him. He would protect this Kamiya girl, though he had no idea why she would be so important to that bastard wolf. However, Aoshi had to admit that he did read all of her novels and articles.  
  
He glanced down at his watch and frowned. Saito had better hurry. They needed to board the plane within the next ten minutes. He already sent that fox-like woman and the chicken-brained man to wait on the plane. Aoshi lifted his eyes to scan the crowd once more.  
  
Chief Saito could be seen heading his direction and his hands were full. One was pulling a suitcase and the other was latched onto the arm of an angry woman. Aoshi quirked a brow, but it went unnoticed under his dark bangs. Could the angry woman be the award winning journalist whose work he admired? She was so ---- small.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Enishi walked down the stairs of his castle estate. He ran his hand through his short, thick white hair. Tucked under his arm was the latest journal with Kaoru Kamiya's newest article about the Battousai. His sister had become obsessed with the young journalist and was the reason he had agreed to open his castle up for a mystery fortnight.  
  
His turquoise eyes watered at the sight of what his sister had become. He pushed his blue sunglasses up higher on his nose to hide his watery orbs. "I brought it," he announced from the doorway.  
  
Tomoe turned around in her wheel chair and pushed herself towards him determinedly, offering a weak smile in greeting. Her dark eyes were an eternal window into her sorrowful soul. She reached for the magazine he held and opened it up to Kamiya's latest work.  
  
Idly, she began to twist the wedding ring on her left ring finger. Enishi stared at the golden band bitterly. The one whom gave it to her is the reason she was in that wheel chair and was nothing but a shell of her former self.  
  
Tomoe had since become obsessed with the Battousai and naturally with Kamiya since she was the one who had the most knowledge about him. She wanted an excuse to meet the woman and perhaps track down the one that had destroyed all her dreams. Her husband, Akira, was lost to her. She had not seen him since she was abandoned after the attack at their wedding.  
  
Moments after the 'I do's were said, a man, in a ninja outfit of black that hid his identity, had interrupted the happy couple. Akira had grabbed Tomoe close to him against his chest, in effect turning her back towards the assassin. Whether he did it out of confusion or if he used her as a shield was unknown. All Tomoe remembered was the sheering pain of a blade slicing across her back to form an 'X' too quickly for her notice that she was cut twice.  
  
The assassin seemed to realize too late that the wrong target was hit and quickly fled, leaving a wounded bride in her groom's arms. Her white wedding dress stained crimson.  
  
Her new husband stood by her at the hospital as the doctors informed them of her paralysis from the waist down. She would never have children. Akira was lost to her the very next day. She knew his absence had something to do with the Battousai. Who else could the black assassin have been?  
  
When she found out about Saito and Kamiya's engagement she was afraid that the stories the woman wrote about the Battousai would be put to rest as she started her happy marriage. No doubt SHE would have children and no more time to dedicate towards the mystery. She was overjoyed to learn about their breakup.  
  
It took little convincing for her little brother to agree to host an event that would attract great minds and hopefully the Battousai himself. In his arrogance, no doubt he would also attend. She had to make sure that Kamiya was present, which is why Saito was presented with the offer Enishi extended. Tomoe also had to make sure that Saito wasn't there; she couldn't risk Kamiya becoming distracted.  
  
For her own sake, she needed the mystery of the Battousai solved.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"The plane is about to leave," Aoshi greeted coolly once the two had reached his side in the terminal. Saito shoved the suitcase at Aoshi and turned around and left without saying a word.  
  
Aoshi and Kaoru watched him leave silently for a few seconds before Kaoru turned back to the stranger. He must have been Detective Shinomori. "I'm sorry about that. That idiot didn't even tell me about this until an hour ago. I'm Kaoru Kamiya," she held out her hand to him.  
  
Aoshi looked down at her hand and slowly met it with his own in a brief shake. "Let's go." He handed her suitcase to the luggage handler and began walking towards the plane expecting the woman to be following him.  
  
Kaoru watched him in shock. She couldn't believe how rude he was! Did he just expect her to come running after him like some sort of lap dog? The nerve of that man, he didn't even introduce himself. Angrily, she began to walk after him. She hit him hard upside the head.  
  
Aoshi quickly turned around and glared down at the woman. "What?" He barked at her, he couldn't believe she had just struck him!  
  
Kaoru crossed her arms at his tone, fire burning in her sapphire orbs melting the ice in his light blue. "You could at least be civil. We'll be spending a lot of time together. You didn't even bother introducing yourself."  
  
Aoshi turned back around and resumed walked towards the plane. They had five minutes before the plane would be ready to take off. He really didn't have time to deal with a temperamental woman. It didn't matter that he was finding himself attracted to her. It didn't matter that he was thinking of taking the doctor and boxer up on their offer and letting them share a room and he share one with the writer.  
  
Kaoru glared daggers into Aoshi's back and ran to catch up with him again. As she walked alongside him towards the plane she snuck a peek at him from the corner of her eye. How was it possible to be as gorgeous as he was on the outside and a completely anti-social block of ice on the inside?  
  
Aoshi noticed her watching him from the corner of her eyes. After the stewardess ushered them towards their seats, he took the isle seat, forcing Kaoru to climb over his legs to the window seat he decided to answer. "I'm Aoshi Shinomori." He finally greeted as he closed his eyes and relaxed in his chair.  
  
Kaoru buckled her safety belt and crossed her legs angrily. "It's a little late for that ice man. And buckle up, I don't want to have to save your scrawny ass from falling out of your seat once we take off."  
  
Aoshi cracked open an eye and lazily buckled up. He bit his inner cheek, keeping his emotions in check. This woman was not about to get a rise out of him, many had tried and all had failed. It was impossible and he planned to keep it that way. "Very well, Tanuki," he agreed, calling her the name he heard Saito refer to her once as.  
  
Kaoru threw her arms into the air in frustration and turned to stare out the window and ignore the man beside her. "Why does everyone call me that?" she muttered.  
  
Aoshi closed his eye again and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. It was going to be a long two weeks after all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
TBC 


	3. And Sinker

Crimson Tears: Chapter 3  
  
Jet lag from traveling to New York from the West Coast was beginning to catch up with Aoshi Shinomori. However, his much-desired rest was hard to find when the constant click-click-click of Kaoru's keyboard kept disturbing his needed silence.  
  
Icy blue eyes snapped open once the effort to slumber was proven futile. Aoshi leaned over the armrest and peered at the screen on the writer's laptop. "What are you doing?" His velvety voice inquired, causing Kaoru to jump slightly in surprise.  
  
Curious, sapphire eyes blinked at him in stupefaction. "I thought you were asleep," Kaoru answered as she stopped typing to give her airplane buddy her full attention.  
  
"It is difficult to sleep with all the noise you were making." Aoshi answered as he gestured towards her keyboard. Kaoru laughed nervously and handed over the labtop for him to see what she had been typing. Ebon eyebrows arched at the words before him. He took the liberty of saving the file and then flipped down the lid on the computer and handed it back to Kaoru.  
  
"It figures that you would have nothing to say," Kaoru mumbled under her breath as she set the computer aside and redirected her gaze towards the window of the plane. It was dark outside now and she couldn't really see anything.  
  
"Just because I choose silence to speaking does not mean I have nothing of value to say," Aoshi answered drawing those sapphire orbs back to meet his icy ones. "Why are you so obsessed with the Battousai?" Shinomori was detective and the art of inquiry ran through his blood.  
  
Kaoru's eyes glazed over as she focused her mind on the driving memories to her Battousai obsession. Aoshi watched the emotions that flashed through her expressive eyes amazed at how much he could sense just by observing her. One thing he prided himself upon was remaining unreadable, but he had the talent of reading other's emotions.  
  
Kaoru offered a brief smile as she redirected her attention to the detective. "I just enjoy mysteries and he is one of the biggest ones I had seen during my days in the force. Hajime used to be equally obsessed," Kaoru trailed off at the mention of her ex.  
  
"I must admit my curiosity regarding you and Chief Saito. I simply can not picture him in a relationship. He seems a difficult man." Aoshi admitted, carefully noting any sign Kaoru's face expressed. Inwardly he frowned, she was masking her feelings too well now with another fake smile. She must be the type to hide her pain behind a cheerful mask.  
  
"We had a great time together. We would probably be happily married now if she never, I mean, oh nevermind. It doesn't matter now. Everything happens for a reason after all right?" Kaoru pleaded the last part with him and Aoshi didn't have the heart to contradict the statement so he nodded in agreement.  
  
"Hey you two," Sanosuke greeted as he stood in the aisle beside their row of seats. "Fancy seeing you here missy and with the iceman, did I feel the temperature drop?"  
  
Kaoru groaned at the poor attempt at a joke while Aoshi merely narrowed his eyes at the boxer. "Sano, that isn't funny. What did you want? And no I won't let you borrow any money to gamble if that's what you are asking." Kaoru quickly finished.  
  
Aoshi leaned his head back on the upper part of his seat and shut his eyes in meditation. Perhaps when he opened them next the boxer would be gone. What he wouldn't give for some relaxing herbal tea right now!  
  
"Heh, no I don't need money Kaoru, thanks for asking though. I was talking to Megumi actually. She came to a decision about this whole mission," Sanosuke began smiling broadly at the two. Kaoru couldn't resist smiling back; her friend was too cute with his wild hair sticking up at all ends from under a red bandana that did little to control the chaos. His big brown puppy dog eyes were too innocent. But then it was those same eyes that had lost her thousands of dollars on loans to the man for his gambling habits.  
  
"What is it that Megumi decided?" Kaoru coaxed when Sano stopped in his speech. He looked nervous at what he was about to announce as he glanced quickly at Aoshi. Then he smirked at Kaoru.  
  
"Well missy, Megumi wanted me to give you this," He handed Kaoru a small box. "She decided that she and I would pose as a married couple. She also knows that you wouldn't room with some man that is not your husband. But, since I told her that you and Saito shared an apartment we decided that it would be okay for you to share a room with your fiancée. So don't forget to invite me to your and Shinomori's wedding. Bye!" He ran off down the aisle as Aoshi's eyes snapped open and his fist reached to grasp the tail of Sano's white jacket.  
  
Falling to the floor due to the hold Aoshi had upon his shirt, Sanosuke crawled back towards the pair and laughed nervously as he tried to pry the fingers from his shirt. "I thought I told the two of you that I would think about that offer. This is an unacceptable arrangement." Aoshi replied with an icy voice that froze Sanosuke's attempt for freedom.  
  
Kaoru could feel her temper rise. What she was most upset about she wasn't sure! Was she upset about the mention of her and Hajime's relationship? Or was she upset that they would force her to live a lie and pretend that the iceman was her lover when he obviously didn't even like her? "What do you mean unacceptable? Is there something wrong with me?" Kaoru demanded, deciding to focus on what she saw as an insult.  
  
Aoshi released Sanosuke's shirttail in shock at the tone of Kaoru's speech. "No, there is nothing wrong with you," Aoshi answered, taken aback. Sano took the opportunity to run for his life back towards Megumi, the fox that was at fault for his predicament. He'd have to yell at her for meddling. She wanted Kaoru to get over Saito and thought the best way to do that was to move onto the icy heartthrob.  
  
"Then what is so unacceptable with me being someone's fiancée?" Kaoru demanded, hurt evident in her tone. Aoshi never dealt with emotional women before. Under normal circumstances he would ignore them and walk away, but he would have to work with Kaoru for two weeks.  
  
"What is unacceptable is that those two assume that it would be okay with you to pose as my intended." Aoshi was going to regret his next words, but if he wanted to have a peaceful two weeks he needed to embellish her ego. "You are beautiful. Any man would be so lucky to have you be his pretend fiancée even real one." He reached for the box and opened it, revealing a rather expensive diamond ring.  
  
Kaoru gasped at the site. It was the ring that Saito had given her, but she had returned upon hearing the news that had ended their engagement. For Megumi to have had it, it must have meant that Hajime wanted this charade. She did just find out about the whole ordeal earlier that night. Was it so hard to believe that he would want her to pretend about her relationship status? Perhaps he wanted to ensure that no one would hit on her during the investigation. The best way to avoid that was to bring your future husband along.  
  
"She had to have been given this ring by Saito," Kaoru answered. "Do you think it would be a smart idea to pretend to have a relationship during our fortnight at the castle? We wouldn't have to worry about the other guests trying to woo us if we are un-wooable." Kaoru continued as she pondered whether the word 'un-wooable' was really a word or not.  
  
Aoshi remained silent for a long while, Kaoru took that as a sign that he was against the idea and turned back towards the window to stare at the passing darkness. Aoshi stared at the ring in his hand and looked back over at Kaoru. He had a feeling that by doing this he would be involving himself in a great deal of excess baggage. Kamiya certainly seemed to have many secrets in her closet that she was unwilling to share.  
  
Shinomori came to a decision. What could a little white lie hurt if it was only to last for a couple of weeks? He pulled Kaoru's left hand out of her lap and held it within his right hand as Kaoru turned towards him questioningly. He slipped the ring upon her ring finger. "Kaoru Kamiya, I would be honored if you would be my pretend fiancée for the next fortnight."  
  
Kaoru's gaze fell back upon the jewel that adorned her finger. How long had it been since that familiar weight had been pulled off her finger? She frowned at the memory but offered Aoshi another masking smile. "It would be my pleasure Mr. Shinomori."  
  
"Very well then, in that case you can tell me the secrets you hide behind that smile when we are alone at night." Aoshi replied as he suddenly felt much more at ease and knew that if he were to close his eyes now he would fall asleep.  
  
"Alone at night?" Kaoru echoed softly, with a nervous edge. "Fine, but that means you'll have to do the same and tell me what lies beneath that icy surface," Kaoru informed him in a confident tone. She adjusted herself in her seat and moved to rest her head upon Aoshi's shoulder.  
  
He looked down at her. "What do you think you are doing?" He asked surprised by her actions.  
  
"If I'm good enough for you to pretend propose to then I'm good enough for you to let me rest my head upon your shoulder," Kaoru answered with a great yawn. Her many nights with little sleep were catching up to her. The stress of the Battosai case was causing her nightmares. She could only hope that while she rested no more crimson tears would be shed. But, the only sure way to avoid the crimson tears was to not sleep.  
  
Aoshi allowed himself to relax and allow Kaoru to share some of his warmth. It wasn't too uncomfortable. But then again, since she was taking the liberty to just lay her head upon his shoulder he should have the liberty to make himself more comfortable. Decision made, he pushed Kaoru up for a moment. Kaoru looked at him questioningly, but he ignored her momentarily.  
  
He pushed up the dividing arm rest between their seats and then wrapped his arm around Kaoru's shoulder to pull her closer to him. He allowed her to rest her head upon his chest and he placed his chin upon the crown of her head. "Might as well look convincing," he whispered before shutting his icy orbs.  
  
Aoshi waited until the breathing of Kaoru had evened out before opening his eyes to gaze down at her again. He really wanted to know her story now. He would find out though. Saito entrusted him with her safety and even if that forced him to act the part of the over-protective fiancée he would do it.  
  
A few more hours passed as the writer and detective slept unaware of everything happening around them. Both were enjoying a blissful sleep that had been forgotten since childhood innocence.  
  
Suddenly, the visions came again to Kaoru Kamiya as she began to squirm in her slumber, rousing the detective she was using as a pillow. Aoshi looked down at the young woman. She seemed to be having some sort of nightmare.  
  
Gently the detective from Southern California tried to shake her awake. "Kaoru, wake up, you are having a bad dream." Aoshi whispered softly as he continued to shake her.  
  
"Hajime he struck again, he did it again," Kaoru answered her voice a mere whisper. Aoshi was about to shake her hard when he heard her confuse him with the wolfish chief until he saw it. Kaoru's sapphire eyes opened quickly as she looked around her environment in confusion for a moment.  
  
She noticed the confused look of Aoshi and blushed slightly at the fact that his arm was around her. She offered another masking smile. "I must have had another nightmare," she answered.  
  
Aoshi ignored her explanation. He was more interested at what was flowing on her cheek. He raised his index finger to her face and gently brushed it across the smooth contours of her face catching the liquid that had caught his attention. He lifted his finger close to his eyes for inspection. Then turned his finger towards her.  
  
"What is this about?" Aoshi demanded.  
  
"I don't know. Can we talk about it later? I am so tired." Kaoru explained trying to find a way of avoiding the explanation he desired.  
  
"Kaoru, this is," he raised his finger to his lips and licked off the substance, confirming his suspicions. "This is a crimson tear. Why were you crying in your sleep and most importantly how were you crying blood? Do not lie."  
  
Kaoru looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please Aoshi, I don't want to talk about it now. This is neither the time nor the place," she looked towards the other passengers of the plane and Aoshi conceded the point.  
  
"Very well, but you will discuss this in detail once we reach the castle and the privacy of our bedroom. Don't forget I will have you to myself every night for two weeks. You will explain this phenomenon to me." Aoshi warned her, he moved his arm back to her shoulder and pulled her against him once more. "For now, go back to sleep without the nightmares. And never call me Saito again."  
  
"I apologize for that, it's just that I'm still not used to him not being there after one of my nightmares." Kaoru explained softly, the weariness she felt evident in her tones.  
  
"So this has happened before?" Aoshi demanded moving his hand to cup her chin and meet his gaze. Kaoru nodded, but refused to meet his gaze. "I see. Sleep now, you will explain later."  
  
Kaoru closed her eyes in relief that he didn't press the issue. She had inadvertently answered his previous question when she asked why she was so obsessed with the Battousai. It would be because she had seen every one of his crimes and every one of his victims. Every time another murder took place at the hands of the man she would cry a single crimson tear.  
  
Saito was the only one who knew of her connection to the manslayer. Neither could determine the reasoning behind it. He only could offer his protection. But even he failed to protect her from himself. A shiver ran through her body as depression was trying to invade her heart. The dark feelings were combated when she felt Aoshi, this stranger she just met hours before, tighten his arm around her shoulder.  
  
Aoshi felt her relax against him after tensing up for a few moments. The next two weeks would most definitely prove to be eventful. He allowed a small grin to lift the corners of his lips as he looked back down at the sleeping beauty. Perhaps the next two weeks could be a little fun as well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: Aoshi may be OOC here, but I don't think he is according to what I know of him anyway. Still a great deal of mysteries left but at least you know the reason for the title now! Thank you kindly for your reviews they are much appreciated and very encouraging! ~Belle 


	4. Day One

~Aoshi/Kaoru Recommendation: **39 Days**, by **Koji-Belle**   
  
AU: The casts of Rurouni Kenshin and Inuyasha must work past their differences to 'survive.' They must face the horrors of stalkers, icy personalities, & short tempers. Will the prize be money or the chance to find love in unexpected places? (Principle Pairings will be Aoshi/Kaoru & Sesshoumaru/Kagome)   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
**Crimson Tears**   
  
Chapter 4: Day One   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
Enishi Yukishiro had a limousine waiting for his American guests at the airport. A few other individuals had already arrived and he had them presented to their rooms. It would seem that the Americans were the only group to have formed a four person team.   
  
  
  
All the other guests arrived with either a partner or the intention of participating solo. His sister had been too nervous to interact with the guests and requested to be left alone and undisturbed until the arrival of Kamiya.   
  
  
  
Anxiously, Enishi stood out on the terrace, awaiting his limousine. The cool breeze of his ancestral home blew through his stark white hair. His gaze scanned the road, searching for signs of more visitors.   
  


  
  
A tap on his shoulder disturbed his solitude. He turned to see his cook standing behind him with something in her hands. Tae raised her hands and offered a steaming mug of her famous English tea. Enishi took the mug and gave his servant a dismissive nod of his head.   
  
  
  


Tae retreated back indoors, leaving her master to stand vigilant on the terrace.   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
Aoshi observed Kaoru intently. She had barely spoken since the incident on the plane. Her small, delicate hands nervously wrung together as she worried her bottom lip.   
  
  
  
"Stop," Aoshi commanded in his soft, powerful voice. Kaoru stopped chewing her bottom lip to look at him in confusion. Aoshi remained silent, but reached his thumb towards her bottom lip.   
  
  
  
He brushed off the drop of blood that had accumulated there. "Stop chewing your lips." He explained as he left his thumb to linger upon those lips for a moment longer than necessary.   
  
  
  
Kaoru's expressive sapphire eyes closed at the sensation as she reached for Aoshi's wrist and pulled it away. Aoshi redirected his attention away from her to peer outside the window. Their destination was now in view.   
  
  
  
It was a magnificent castle. As his attention was diverted he jumped unnoticeably when Kaoru pressed herself tightly against his side to share in the awesome view.   
  
  
  
Sanosuke, whose presence was long since forgotten about by the other two, whistled at the sight. "What do you think about that fox?" He asked, nudging Megumi.   
  
  
  
Megumi, who had been keenly watching the interaction between Detective Shinomori and her favorite Tanuki, let her dark eyes fall upon the vision that had captivated her companion's interest.   
  
  
  
"Woah, boy," Megumi chastised the love of her life as she reached over and shut his lower jaw that had fallen open in awe.   
  
  
  
Sano turned to Megumi with a grin as he rested his strong arm across her shoulders. "I'm glad we came fox, no way could I come up with a get away retreat at a place of this caliber."   
  
  
  
Aoshi made no objections as Kaoru continued to lean against him to share the view. True, there were plenty of windows that she could peer out through, but he preferred her looking through his window. "I've never seen anything so magnificent," Kaoru whispered.   
  
  
  
Aoshi abruptly sat back against the cool, leather seat, causing Kaoru to lose her balance and topple over because of her precarious balance, landing in the detective's lap.   
  
  
  
Embarrassed, she tried to support her weight on her forearms to prevent her face from being where it shouldn't be. Noting her reddened features, Aoshi felt some sympathy for the woman and with both hands grasped just above her hips to move her back in an upright position. He reluctantly released her and closed his icy orbs in mock relaxation. "Nor have I been witness to something so magnificent before now either." Aoshi agreed, not certain himself as to what he was referring to exactly, be it the castle or the woman beside him.   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  


  
Enishi smirked when he noticed the limousine outside the locked gates of his estate. He called for the only other servant that would be present for the next two weeks. The daughter of his cook was a shy young girl. She ran to his side and bowed her head respectfully.   
  
  
  
Enishi ruffled her short brown hair, eliciting a giggle from the child, before speaking. "Tell my sister that they have arrived," he ordered.   
  
  
  
The limousine pulled up in the drive and came to a halt. Enishi walked down the stairs in front of his castle to greet the newly arrived guests. The limo driver walked around to the back and opened the door for the passengers. The first to emerge was a tall man with spiky black hair pulled back by a red bandana. Enishi's first impression was that he was some sort of gang member.   
  
  
  
Next to come out was a seductive woman with long midnight colored hair and eyes of the same dark hue. She winked at him before looping her arm around the gangster's elbow.   
  
  
  
That couple was the followed by a tall, silent, imposing man. The tall figured scanned Enishi with a critical eye. He was obviously the detective of the lot. There were no lines upon his face, indicating that he was an expert at guarding his emotions, thereby making himself impossible to read. He would be a dangerous foe to make, Enishi decided.   
  
  
  
However, it was the last member of the party that truly attracted Enishi's attention. He had always been curious about Kaoru Kamiya. It was hard to not be interested when one's sister obsessed about the individual. However, the lord never imagined her to be so beautiful.   
  
  
  
Kaoru climbed out last from the limousine, Aoshi reached back almost at the last instant to help her out. It was as if he felt a sudden urge to appear possessive in front of the British lord. Enishi watched the exchange with a furrowed brow, he was unaware of the writer having any attachments.   
  
  
  
"I bid thee all welcome," Enishi greeted, bowing at the waist to his guests. "You will tell me your names as we walk inside, but please, only one name.  I want the mystery guests to know as little about one another as possible."   
  
  
  
Megumi moved to walk alongside Enishi, and didn't notice the slight downward turn of the corners of his lips. She was not the one he was interested in learning about. "I'm Megumi and this handsome brute is my rooster-head. Or Sanosuke if you would prefer." Megumi smiled charmingly at the host as she gestured to herself and Sano.   
  
  
  
Enishi nodded at each of them in turn. Then he looked over his shoulder at the silent couple that followed a few paces behind. They both seemed to be analyzing every detail of his estate. "And who might you be?" Enishi inquired, as large sapphire eyes met his turquoise ones.   
  
  
  
"I'm Kaoru and this friendly man is Aoshi." Kaoru smiled at Aoshi, who silently scowled at her for the remark. His ice blue eyes clearly reflecting his displeasure at her sarcasm.   
  
  
  
"Of course, Kaoru Kamiya, it's a pleasure to meet you." Enishi smiled charmingly at her and he turned to face her fully and extended his hand towards her. Kaoru blinked at him for his familiarity but met his offered hand regardless. Enishi took the opportunity to pull her hand towards his lips and kiss them gently.   
  
  
  
"Forgive me, I forgot your last name was not to be used." Enishi reprimanded himself, inwardly smirking at the redness that colored Kaoru's cheeks. Aoshi's heated glare was the only thing that prevented him from smiling visibly.   
  
  
  
Kaoru seemed to recover from her brief embarrassment. She was rather confused by her actions lately. She never blushed! The only man that had ever made her blush was Hajime Saito so how was it that now a detective from California and a British lord could make her cheeks flame up? 

They entered inside the castle and a small child closed the door behind them with a quick bow.  She then ran off down the dark corridors.  Enishi gauged the reactions of his guests.  They all seemed rather impressed with his home inside and out.  He too gave his home the once over, allowing his eyes to rest upon the ancient tapestries, antique furnishings of all sorts, and silver and gold decorating all the walls.

"You live here?" Sanosuke asked in admiration for the luxurious wonders of the castle.  A feminine throat cleared, before Enishi could answer.  He noticed his dear sister lurking in the shadows, hidden from the five of them as they stood just within the door.  

"I see you have collected some more of our guests, Enishi," the woman declared, with five sets of eyes focused upon her.  She wheeled herself closer towards the ensemble, nervous in the company of so many strangers.  A smile lit her face when she recognized Kaoru Kamiya.  She extended her hand towards her.  "You must be Kaoru." 

Kaoru smiled self-consciously and shook hands with the woman.  Her hand shake was firm, giving no obvious sign of her ailments that most likely led to her being in a wheel chair.  She had to wonder what struck this woman and also how she and Enishi seemed to know her.  "Yes, I am Kaoru."

The strange woman's smile faded as her vision fell upon the diamond engagement ring on Kaoru's left hand.  "You may call me Tomoe."  Enishi followed his sister's eyes and then noticed the ring himself.  He nearly growled at the sight because he was starting to have some very positive thoughts about the fortnight concerning a certain single journalist.

  
"I'm glad to meet you Tomoe," Kaoru told her sincerely with a friendly smile.  Tomoe turned her saddened eyes to meet her brother's turquoise ones.  The look of jealousy that flashed through his indicated that he too had seen the ring.

"I have read a great many of your works."  Tomoe confided, smiling at Kaoru once again.  "I wanted to offer you my condolences on the end break up of you and your fiancé, Chief Saito.  But, I suppose congratulations are in order."

Aoshi cleared his throat at the innocent assumption.  A rise of jealousy flowed up his spine as he moved to stand beside Kaoru and wrap a possessive arm around her waist.  He leaned down and kissed her lightly upon the cheek.  "Actually, Kaoru and I are engaged."  He explained calmly as he drew away from the addictive woman at his side.

Sanosuke snickered at the tone, Aoshi used, but Megumi promptly elbowed him hard in the ribs, silencing the jovial boxer.  Megumi smiled politely when Enishi had looked over at them.  "So what are the activities for this evening?"  Megumi inquired.

Enishi looked down at his watch.  The Americans had arrived a bit later than he had originally planned.  There some business about a flight delay according to his limo driver when he had called to report in earlier that evening.  "You are later than I had anticipated.  The other guests have already retired for the evening."

"The other guests are already here?" Aoshi questioned.  He had seen no signs indicating that others were present.  He didn't quite trust a man who would set up a mystery fortnight.  The entire situation was odd.

Enishi regarded the detective coolly.  He definitely did not care for the ebon haired man.  Just because he seemed to think he was a marble statue didn't mean he had to act like one.  "Yes, there are other guests here.  They arrived much earlier in the day.  Dinner was actually served an hour ago."

Aoshi's arm slipped from Kaoru's waist and fell to his side.  Kaoru turned to him and placed her arm on his, gaining his attention.  His ice blue eyes locked with her sapphire ones.  "I'm not feeling very well.  You know I didn't sleep well on the plane.  I'd like to turn in early."

Detective Shinomori relaxed his posture slightly.  He turned to Tomoe and offered a polite nod of the head and then addressed Enishi.  "Would you be so kind as to have us shown to our room?"

Enishi looked across at Megumi and Sanosuke who found the tapestry particularly interesting and were blatantly ignoring him.  It would seem that the women had no intention of rooming together.  He looked over at Tomoe; she would be concerned that Kaoru would be distracted.

"Why don't you allow me to show them to their rooms?" Tomoe suggested.  Enishi couldn't deny her any requests and nodded his consent.  "Follow me, I'll show you to the elevator."  Kaoru and Aoshi followed the woman silently, both curious about how an elevator was installed into such an ancient castle.

Still, there seemed to be no life inside the castle other than the people they had just been with.  Where were all the guests?  Kaoru shivered, she felt a chill run deep within her veins.  Something bad was going to happen.  She didn't get bad vibes for nothing.

"Are you cold?" Tomoe asked, she was intently watching Kaoru as the elevator rose to the third floor.  Kaoru shook her head no.  Tomoe merely raised a brow, putting the little incident into the back of her mind to ponder at her leisure later.  The doors opened and the three emerged. 

Tomoe led the way to the fourth door on the left.  There were only three other individuals staying in this wing of the castle.  It included herself, these two, and one of the other guests, an interesting man with brilliant red hair.

Kaoru felt another chill, but kept herself from shivering.  She didn't want to act like something was odd.    Her actions were always being too closely scrutinized.  She didn't want to overreact and cause a stir.

"I hope that you two will be comfortable here.  I am down the hall about three doors.  If you would like to talk or anything, you are always welcome."  Tomoe offered before leaving the couple and retiring to her bedroom.  She had a great deal of thinking to do.

Aoshi shut the door behind him and locked it.  He placed both his and Kaoru's bags of luggage on the large couch that sat under the great window of the room.  There was a large canopy bed in the center of the room with a red velvet bed spread.  He looked back down at the luggage and then back at the bed and finally allowed his vision to settle upon Kaoru.  

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Aoshi asked, Kaoru looked as if she needed some time to think.  Kaoru shook her head.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be alone right now."  She sat upon the bed and kicked off her shoes.  Aoshi walked towards her and settled beside her on the bed, allowing himself to sink into the softness of the mattress as he laid upon his back with his arms resting behind his head.

"Something is bothering you."  Aoshi stated simply, not looking at Kaoru, but choosing to focus on the red velvet canopy.

Kaoru laid back beside him and turned on her side, to look at him.  "Sometimes, I get these feelings.  I try to ignore them, but if I do they will only get stronger.  I have a bad feeling about this whole situation.  I'm afraid someone may get killed."

Aoshi turned his head to look at her when she stopped talking.  "Well this is a murder mystery vacation.  Do you think there is foul play afoot?"

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't know.  We didn't even meet anyone.  But you saw the way Enishi and Tomoe reacted to me.  It's as if they set this up just so they could get me here."

"They did both seem rather interested in you."  Aoshi smirked, "But who can blame them?  You are a rather entertaining Tanuki."  He teased her easily.  He had never acted so openly in front of anyone before.   At least, not since he lost his friends in high school.

Kaoru stretched her arms high above her head as she sat up on the bed.  She then stood and walked towards her luggage and pulled out her night clothes.  Aoshi was watching every move she made closely.  "Do you think you could turn around for a moment while I change?"

Aoshi complied and turned, listening to every unzip that was taking place behind him.  Why was he so tempted to turn around?  "Do you want me to sleep on the couch?"  Aoshi asked, back turned to his _fiancé.  _

Kaoru looked down at the couch and then over at Aoshi.  He was so tall; the couch would surely be uncomfortable.  There was no way she would be able to fall asleep on it.  "We're both adults here.  I don't think it would be very fair of me to force you to sleep on the couch."  Kaoru walked back towards the bed and pulled back the covers, slipping inside of the cool sheets.  

Aoshi turned around when he felt the added weight upon the bed behind him.  He looked down at his watch and decided against adjusting it to the time of Great Britain.  He would prefer to do the math and calculate the time in his head.  He then removed his watch and kicked off his shoes.  He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the couch, followed by his jeans.

Clothed in nothing but his boxers, Aoshi climbed into the bed.  Kaoru moved away from him when she felt his body heat become close.  Why was she sharing a bed with this man she barely knew?  She knew why.  It was because Saito trusted him and because she was certain that nightmares would haunt her in her sleep.  It had nothing to do with how absolutely god-like he looked.  Just to prove the point to herself, she wouldn't even sneak a peak at his perfectly chiseled body.

Aoshi kept his eyes closed until he was confident that the woman beside him had drifted off into sleep.  She rolled over onto her side, drawing herself closer to his warmth subconsciously.  She shivered in her sleep.  Sighing, Aoshi wrapped his arms around her lithe frame and drew her up to his chest, resting her cheek over his heart.  

He had a feeling that he wouldn't get much sleep that night.  If those crimson tears from earlier and her bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep were any indication, he would only get a few hours of sleep before something disturbed his slumber.  

However, he would certainly enjoy those few hours to the best of his ability.  He allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he felt Kaoru wrap her arms around his chest and squeeze him closer to her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC

  
Quote of the day:  "The world doesn't stop being funny when people die, nor does it cease to be serious when people laugh."  


	5. The Wolf and his Raccoon

**_A/N:  If you are an Aoshi/Kaoru fan check out the yahoo group by the name of AoshiandKaoru.  I'd love to see your name on the member list!        ~Belle_**

****

**Chapter 5:  The Wolf and his Raccoon:**

****

Hajime Saito left the airport with a heavy heart.  It took all his significant will power to leave the love of his life in the capable hands of Aoshi Shinomori.  He had forgotten the reason he never had introduced Kaoru to his longtime acquaintance until the moment he practically gift wrapped her for the Californian detective.

Saito reached his empty car where her Jasmine scent still lingered.  Sighing silently to himself he sat down in the driver's seat and turned the engine to begin his journey home.

He knew he would have second thoughts about the whole idea of sending Kaoru off on a two week trip without him and in the company of the detective.  He never should have agreed to Megumi's idea of having them pose as an engaged couple.  Jealousy tugged at the strings of his heart at the thought of Shinomori touching _his _Tanuki.

It didn't matter that she was no longer his technically because she would always hold that special place in his heart.  However, he realized now that if he ever hoped to win Kaoru over again that it would be impossible since Megumi had suggested using the engagement ring that he himself had given her.

No doubt would Kaoru believe it was because he wanted her to move on.  He certainly didn't want her to suffer sleepless nights for an entire fortnight.  He wished that he could have declined Yukishiro's offer entirely and protected Kaoru from any possible associations with Battosai.  But, Saito knew that she would never have forgiven him if this opportunity had been denied her.

Hajime blinked his amber eyes in surprise at where he found himself driving.  He was not parked outside his own home, but rather in front of Kaoru's apartment building.  He sat inside his car for a few moments trying to decide what could have brought him to this location instead of his waiting son.

Decision made that fate had wanted him to come here instead, he walked up the stairs and used his key to the apartment to enter.  He locked the door behind him and made his way to Kaoru's familiar bedroom.  Before he even realized what he was doing, he had kicked off his shoes and peeled off his clothes and found himself wrapped inside the Jasmine scented sheets of the bed they once shared.

How could things have come to this?  When he had first met the dark haired beauty with the captivating eyes he knew he was in love.  He was at least fifteen years her senior but still, he found that he couldn't go the day without wondering who she was.

For three weeks, he saw her from afar, studying diligently in the library where he enjoyed reading at, away from his stressful life.  It wasn't until he had been asked to guest speak at the Police Academy and noticed her presence there as well did he muster the nerve to speak to her.

It would seem that Kaoru would be the one to break the proverbial ice.  She had smiled at him in a way that made his heart race.  He never knew he could feel like such a teenager until she stepped into his life.

Her sapphire eyes had twinkled with unbridled excitement as she smiled at him endearingly.  "Detective Saito, I'm Kaoru Kamiya, I've been reading about your work regarding the Battosai case and I must say that I'm impressed." 

Dumbfounded, Saito merely stared at her with impassive amber eyes.  He hoped she would assume he was being his typical aloof wolfish self, but she seemed to see right past his façade.  "Let me guess you are joining the force to make a name for yourself by solving that case?" He found himself sneering at her in an arrogant tone.

Not daunted by his tone, Kaoru continued.  "Actually sir, I think I may be able to help you on the case.  I do have an ability to solve mysteries, even the most complicated ones."

Saito cocked a brow at the arrogant reply.  It sounded like something he would say.  "Very well, how about I meet you for coffee and you can try and convince me that I need you."  He wasn't sure if he needed her, but he definitely wanted her.  Seeing the combination of innocence and wisdom behind her sapphire jewels made him forget all his problems.

"Thank you very much sir, I appreciate you considering my proposal." Kaoru answered as she gave a brief bow of gratitude before walking briskly away from him towards a couple of her peers that were calling her name repeatedly.  She might have been walking away from him then, but Saito found that she had inadvertently sealed herself inside his heart forever.

Back in Kaoru's bedroom, Saito stared at the ceiling blankly, finding no sleep as his mind replayed the events of his and Kaoru's heavenly relationship.  He had been impressed by her cunning wit and after that coffee, had agreed to include her on the Battosai case.  With her help he had easily and quickly rose in the ranks at the force and soon found himself a chief.

However, it was after he had spent a week away at an official function in Chicago and returned that he discovered just how strong his little Tanuki actually was.  He had returned to the office and was hoping to take her to dinner and ask her if she was interested in something more than friendship when he discovered that she had been absent all week, ill.

Concerned, he found himself driving to her apartment.  He knocked and it seemed as if time had stood still while he waited for her to answer the door.  The sight of her had caused his heart to shatter.  She looked as if she hadn't slept the entire week that he had been gone.  Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked as if she would faint at any moment.

She tried to smile at him, as if there was nothing amiss and that she was suffering a common cold.  He knew better and had wrapped her within the security of his strong arms.  She buckled against him and her tired body had collapsed before she could even offer a word of greeting.

Saito had picked up her small form and carried her to the couch, setting her in his lap as he continued to hold her.  Gently he ran his fingers through her dark locks that hung loosely down her back.  He flipped on the television to entertain himself until he could find out what had caused his Tanuki to exhaust herself.

Hours had passed and he found himself growing tired as well.  Just as his amber eyes were about to close he felt Kaoru stirring in her sleep.  She started mumbling and he noticed a drop of blood had streaked down her cheek.  Worried, he shook her awake.  Sapphire eyes snapped open and widened in horror.

She crushed her face against his shoulder and trembled in his ever tightening embrace.  "Hajime, he killed her."  She whispered brokenly.  Gently, Saito had pushed her face away from his shoulder so he could speak with her directly.

"Who killed who, Kaoru?  What is the matter?  Tell me!" Saito demanded, his face hard, but his eyes soft when regarding the girl in his arms.

Kaoru looked away, refusing to look him in the eyes before answering.  "You've always been curious as to why I'm so fascinated by the Battosai case.  Why I dropped out of college my senior year studying journalism to pursue a career in law?  It's because the dreams never stop.  Every time he kills someone, if I am asleep, I see it.  Every victim he kills, I see.  I see it through his eyes.  I know what he is thinking.  He wants to cry when he kills, he has no choice.  But I do it for him.  I'm the one who cries for him.  He has no tears, only blood.  So that's why I cry his blood."

Saito found himself speechless.  That would certainly explain her interest in the case.  It would also explain her great ability of discerning the clues they would find at crime scenes, even ones unrelated to Battosai.  For no murders in New York had been committed by the beast in some time.  Saito held the woman closer to his chest and placed her ear to his rapidly beating heart.

"You won't have to dream alone." Saito whispered softly in her ear.  Kaoru looked up at him confused at his statement but he only hugged her closer to him.  Her arms found their way to his neck, where they snaked around drawing the pair even closer.

"Thankyou," she answered, before closing her eyes and sleeping peacefully the rest of the night.  

Saito sat up in Kaoru's bed, the memory of their first night together replaying in his mind's eye.  After that night he had spent every following night at this apartment, holding her, trying to protect her from her dreams.  It didn't stop the dreams, but at least she wasn't afraid of waking up alone.

Their relationship had turned passionate and he discovered that he didn't want to think about a life without her.  That's when he had proposed to her and she had, to his great relief, accepted.  Life was perfect.  The Battosai was still on the loose, but Saito actually didn't really mind.  Actually, he was thankful to Battosai for being the common ground that led to him meeting Kaoru.

But reality came crashing in on him not too long after their engagement was announced.  His ex-wife, Tokio had decided to make herself known to the pair.  She announced that she had a son, his son.  Saito had been unaware of fathering any children, but the boy was eleven years old, the right age to have been his son.

Saito had only been married to Tokio for half a year, six months of foolishness during his youth.  The marriage was annulled and he hadn't spoken with his ex-wife once during the decade that followed.

Kaoru had been heartbroken that he had kept such a secret after she had entrusted him with so many of her own.  With a tear-streaked face she had handed him back the engagement ring with a request that he try to make things work with his family.  

****

****

Saito took the ring, but had no intention of seeking reconciliation with his ex-wife.  He did want to be a good father to the son he never knew he had.  His son, Aaron, was a blessing in disguise.  It was hard to believe that someone so wonderful could have been created during the ill fated union of Saito and his ex-wife.  

The adolescent had requested to live with Saito in New York and his mother, unwanted by the man, decided to allow Saito custody as she sought fame and fortune in Atlantic City.  Aaron had met Kaoru a week after the breakup.  The boy was absolutely in love with the young woman.  He threatened his father that if he didn't marry her then he when he got older he would marry her himself.

Saito had found the comment quite comical and when he shared it with Kaoru, an attempt to reintroduce the idea of re-instating their engagement she had merely given him a sad smile and said she needed time to get her life together on her own.  That's when she quit the force and finished her journalism degree.

She never took away Saito's key and often times over the past year he would drop by and visit her.  He missed her terribly, but knew that she wasn't ready for anything serious with him.  If Tokio hadn't entered his life a second time they would have been married, working on at least their third child by now.  But at least Aaron had entered Hajime's life.  

Saito rose from the bed that he missed so much and redressed himself.  He needed to go home to his son.  Kaoru was under the protection of Detective Shinomori right now and there was nothing he could do about it.  

After locking the apartment door behind him, Hajime Saito looked at the door knob almost longingly.  Maybe, just maybe, after all the dust settled Kaoru would be able to trust him again with her heart.  

It was a good thing Shinomori was such a heartless icicle.  Otherwise, Saito might have been more concerned about entrusting the love of his life in the strong arms of such an attractive man.  

Saito frowned to himself as he started driving home.  Kaoru had a way of making everyone like her.  He could only hope that Shinomori was immune to the hope and love she represented that he himself had succumbed to.

****

****

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**TBC**

_Aoshi__/Kaoru recommended fiction:  Passing Bells by Maleena 17 _

__

_A tale of love and understanding in a time where chaos and confusion are in the hearts of many.__ Aoshi Shinomori was an enemy, a captain of the Japanese Army that destroyed their Village while, Kamiya Kaoru was a captive that bargained her life.___


	6. Day Two

**Day Two:**

In the mysterious castle, under the thick covers of the red canopied bed, Aoshi squeezed Kaoru tighter against him in his sleep, afraid that the visions he saw were reality. He found himself confused, and that scared him. 

In his mind's eye, he saw Kaoru a few years younger than he knew her now and with a belly swollen in pregnancy. He was comforted as he squeezed her tighter against his chest in reality and wrapped his large hands around her taut stomach. Satisfied, he allowed himself to relax into the dream.

He looked down at his own clothes, a simple white robe over purple pants and button up shirt. His feet were bare and he was holding a cup of steaming tea in one hand. His other hand was holding open the door of the building he was standing within. He was holding open that door for Kaoru and Saito; they were both standing on his door step, their clothes reminding him of old Japanese films. 

Kaoru's belly was revealing of the fact that she was six months pregnant and Saito had his arm loosely wrapped around her, supporting her over-balanced frame. But what caught Aoshi's attention were the liquid sapphire jewels that peered at him. So entranced was he by her eyes that he didn't even notice when a smaller body brushed past him and ran to Kaoru.

"Kaoru-chan! What's wrong? Why are you here with that nasty wolf of a man?" Misao demanded, her long braid flying behind her and wiping Aoshi in the face as he stood rooted to the spot. 

"If it isn't the weasel. I told you we shouldn't have come here." Saito sneered, talking to Kaoru and obviously annoyed with the emerald eyed female ninja. Misao didn't take kindly to the jab and raised an angry fist, but was calmed before she could shout her indignation.

"Misao." Aoshi spoke, his voice cold and hard as steel. The female ninja turned at his speaking her name and became silent. Aoshi focused his eyes on the pregnant woman, but he spoke to the police officer at her side. "Saito, what is the meaning of this? Why have you come to my Aoiya?"

"Battosai," Saito began but Kaoru nudged him hard in the ribs, "I mean; Himura has come to Kyoto to investigate a troublesome disturbance for my wife's home village. We have received no word from him and Mrs. Himura has grown very anxious in his absence and insisted I bring her here."

Kaoru pulled her self out of Saito's grasp and reached for Aoshi's wrist on the hand that held the tea. "Please Shinomori-san, I must look for him. I just need to impose on your hospitality and request to rest here for a little while before we complete our journey."

Aoshi looked down at the pleading woman. His ice blue eyes not reflecting any of the sympathy surging within him at the loyalty she had for Himura. If there was one thing he respected, it was loyalty. 

Shinomori was about to comply with the young woman's wishes but before he could answer, she quickly took her hand away from his wrist and held it tight against her belly. Her eyes screwed shut in pain as she fought to maintain her balance. Three pairs of arms rushed to her aid to prevent her from falling to the hard wooden patio.

Aoshi sat up in bed, wide awake, only then realizing that Kaoru was still in his arms and they were not in Kyoto, Japan but in Great Britain. Kaoru's sapphire eyes opened wide at the sudden movement and she pulled herself out of Aoshi's arms. She moved to the far side of the bed and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth.

"Kaoru?" Aoshi asked, keeping his voice calm. The woman looked like a scared kitten. She shook her head at him when he tried to reach his hand to her. "I'm sorry, but you were shivering in your sleep. Nothing happened."

Kaoru looked away from him and pulled the covers up to her chin as she scooted to rest against the head board. She sighed before turning back to regard his curious icy eyes. "I'm sorry, Aoshi, but I just can't allow myself to get close to you like that." She then looked back down at him and her hand flew to her mouth. She reached her fingers tentatively towards his chest. "What happened to you?"

Aoshi reached over the side of the bed and pulled on his discarded undershirt. Now was not the time to bring up the scars that covered his chest and torso. They were quite numerous and each held a painful memory for the stoic man. "That is for another time, perhaps. Why are you so upset about sleeping with me?"

Aoshi was especially anxious to remain awake after his odd dream; he stared at her, hoping she would answer. When it became apparent that she had no intention of doing so he decided to interrogate, it was his area of expertise after all. "Why did you and Saito break up?"

Kaoru shifted uncomfortably, but the question wasn't exactly unexpected. She scooted closer to Aoshi and lay back down, resting her head on the pillow he was using. Her eyes were trained on the red canopy above. "There were a number of reasons. He has a family that I am not part of."

Aoshi shifted closer under the covers, surprised. He was not aware of Saito having a family. "What do you mean?"

"He has a son and an ex-wife." Kaoru explained, not being very detailed. She was evading the truth behind her real reasons for not allowing herself to find happiness with Saito.

Aoshi shifted closer to Kaoru and placed his hand upon her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "Will you tell me the whole story? I am not one to waste time evading the real issue Kaoru Kamiya."

Kaoru knew she couldn't deny that demand so she sat up once more and faced her bed partner. She might as well tell him now, it would definitely make the next few days easier if he wasn't trying to break her of all the secrets she kept bottled up inside. "It's not about his ex-wife. He told me he had no feelings for her and that it was me that he loved." She looked away then, her eyes focusing on the wall behind his head.

"Then what is the reason, Kaoru?" Aoshi demanded gently. He really wanted to know exactly what he was involving himself in. He didn't want to get too mixed up in things without knowing all the details.

"It's because of the curse. Aaron is so innocent. Saito can handle himself. But, I can't risk endangering Aaron. He is too precious to suffer through the pain I bring." Kaoru answered, her words barely a whisper. She closed her eyes tight and tear drops accumulated in her thick lashes. Aoshi reached over and wiped them away.

"Don't cry, Kaoru." Aoshi tried to comfort, awkwardly rubbing her back. "What are you talking about when you say curse? Are you referring to the tears?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No, there's something more to it." She squeezed the bridge of her nose as she tried to think of how to word it. "I had to have done something in my past to deserve a life of loneliness. I thought that perhaps Saito was going to change that, but then everything changed and it reminded me of how I'm fated to suffer. It's my fault that he died and I couldn't live with myself if I allowed that to happen to Saito's son." 

Aoshi was about to inquire as to whom 'he' was, but Kaoru's stomach gave a un-lady like growl. Deciding to press her for more details later, he took the offered opportunity for distraction. "Would you join me for breakfast?"

################

Enishi was watching the monitors carefully. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. The actor he hired to 'die' was due to start, well dying, that day. One day of his little entertainment fortnight was wasted already due to all the arrivals of his guests. He looked down at his watch once more.

He might as well lock off the security room now. He began to enter the codes into the system. He had a feeling that someone was breathing down his shoulder. Angry to be disturbed he whirled around and came face to face, if you counted that her face was two feet below his own, with a curious young woman.

"May I help you?" Enishi asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Tomoe would be angry with him if he was rude to the guests.

Wide emerald eyes seemed to get wider as he spoke, as the woman's mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Enishi gave her a pointed look to encourage her to speak. "Sorry, I got lost trying to find the kitchen. What were you doing?" She asked as she nervously tugged on her long dark braid of hair. 

Enishi turned his back on her to finish punching in the last of the commands for the system. "If you must know, Misao, I am making this room inaccessible so that no one may cheat and use the monitors to discover who the murderer is. The recordings will still be created, but no one will have access to them until the fourteenth day of this little game." Enishi explained calmly. He stood straight and pushed Misao in front of him.

"No one is going to cheat. It's probably a better idea that you keep this security system functioning so that you can make sure nothing weird is going on." Misao argued as she found herself outside the little security room. Enishi was punching a final code into the number pad system outside.

"No one can enter this room until thirteen days from now. Not even I may enter. Also, no one can leave the premises of my estate. The security system is on full alert and anyone who tries to climb the fences to escape will receive a not so nice electric shock." Enishi explained calmly as he began to walk towards the kitchen. Stupid girl, couldn't she smell the bacon that obviously led the way to the kitchen?

Misao crossed her arms and pouted at the much taller man. "I still think you are being foolish to risk such an invitation to disaster."

Enishi cocked a brow at the inference. "Are you calling me a fool?"

Misao's arms flew to her side. "Of course not! I'm just trying to make sure you know what you are doing!" She tried to explain and calm the angry volcano she knew stood before her.

Enishi didn't say a word and just kept walking towards the kitchen. He pushed open the door that led to the kitchen and gestured about him. "The kitchen," he announced to Misao before leaving her to sit himself in the dining room, where the food was being served.

Enishi couldn't help but feel his heart soar when he noticed his sister beaming. She was sitting across from Kaoru and the smile on her face was uplifting. He had no idea of what they were discussing, but it really didn't matter. He felt his stomach lurch when he noticed Aoshi sitting on Kaoru's right, with his arm lying across the back of her chair.

"Enishi darling, its great of you to join us." Tomoe greeted, laughter in her sad eyes. She gestured around the empty room. "It would seem that we are the only early birds. None of the other guests have graced us with their presence. You remember Kaoru and Aoshi." Tomoe smiled in turn at each of her breakfast partners.

"Of course." Enishi confirmed, sitting in the chair beside his sister, directly across from the detective. One could feel the testosterone level rising between the two as Aoshi focused on forking his eggs and bacon with his right hand as the left one threaded itself through Kaoru's fine hair.

Kaoru gave Aoshi a questioning glance before smiling at Enishi. "Your estate is quite lovely. This food is divine! I wish I could cook like this," she finished wistfully.

"Perhaps Tae wouldn't mind giving you some pointers." Enishi offered as he poured himself some orange juice. He cast his sister a mischievous glance before continuing, "after all she did help Tomoe not be a complete disaster in the kitchen."

Enishi received a sharp punch for that remark, but the smile remained on his face. His sister hadn't had so much spunk in such a long time. She hadn't seemed this happy since she first was proposed to by that Akira jerk.

"So who else is here?" Kaoru inquired. She and Aoshi had been trying to find the other guests, but had been unsuccessful. They couldn't even locate Sano and Megumi. Tomoe and Enishi seemed to be the only ones they were capable of finding.

"Enishi! You are so rude!" The angry voice of a woman could be heard coming from the door. Kaoru and Aoshi turned their heads, but accidentally bumped foreheads in the process. Kaoru grinned at him as she gingerly rubbed her sore spot before rubbing his for a moment. "How dare you show me the kitchen when you know I am supposed to eat here with you. Are you trying to be mean to me on purpose?"

Standing in the doorway was an angry young woman, hands on hips, green eyes flashing, mouth wide in accusation. Aoshi turned back to face the front of the table to continue with his breakfast. 

At spotting the god of a man, Misao abruptly stopped her tantrum. But then he turned away from her as if she wasn't important and it made her angrier. Now she was determined to charm that man who thought he was her better. "Who are they?" She demanded, pointing to the gorgeous man with his back to her and arm around that super model. Dang it! No way could she compete with a supermodel! She sure as hell would try though!

"Hello. I'm Kaoru and this is Aoshi. Won't you please join us? We were wondering when we would meet the other players to this game." Kaoru greeted her smile warm and endearing. Misao felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips. Perhaps she would let the icicle remain her problem. 

"I'm Misao." She greeted as she moved to sit at the table. Where to sit? The seat next to the icicle was looking mighty tempting. She pulled it out and seated herself. "So you're Aoshi?" She asked the man beside her.

Enishi watched with amusement when the detective didn't even grace the woman with a nod of the head. He calmly ate his breakfast and returned his free hand to running his fingers through Kamiya's hair. Was that woman so dense? Enishi found it hard to contain the snicker that wanted to come from deep within his gut. It would be very out of character, and Tomoe's heart was weak, she didn't need any scares.

"So, Enishi, how many other guests are there?" Kaoru asked again, snapping the host to attention. 

"There are the five of us, your two friends, Hiko, Soujiro, Natasha, Jasmine, Yahiko---" Enishi began as he counted off the names of some of the guests, he still had a few to list off before Kaoru knocked over her glass of orange juice and leaned over the table to stare at him in disbelief.

"Did you say Yahiko?" Kaoru demanded. Aoshi's fingers stopped running through her hair as he looked at her in puzzlement. Misao stopped her efforts to gain the stonewall's attention. That Kaoru girl had gained it easily enough, then the little golden ring upon her left hand clued Misao in on the situation as she slumped dejectedly in her chair.

"Who is Yahiko?" Aoshi asked, for the first time speaking at the breakfast table. Kaoru turned to him and whispered in his ear. He nodded his head at whatever she said and eased her back into her seat. He turned to Enishi, "How old is this Yahiko?"

Enishi watched the exchange with utmost fascination. He turned to Tomoe to gage her reaction, but she seemed as confounded by it as well. "He is perhaps twenty." Enishi answered, it wasn't as if he demanded to know everyone's age as soon as they entered his estate. He looked back over at Misao. Maybe he should have, he shouldn't have allowed any teenagers with temper tantrums.

"Who is Yahiko, Kaoru?" Tomoe asked, in her gentle quiet voice. She knew practically everything there was to know about Kamiya, but the name Yahiko was not one she was familiar with.

Kaoru smiled at her disarmingly and waved her hands before her face to dispel the suspicion at the table. "It's just the name of someone that was very close to me that I haven't seen in years is all." Kaoru explained. They didn't need to know all her business. They already knew freakishly too much as it was.

##################

He yawned widely as he sat up from the comfortable mattress. Amethyst eyes scanned the unfamiliar room. He sat up and stretched before rising to his feet. He wanted to wake up early and meet the new arrivals from last night. 

He had over heard them as they were walking down the third floor hallway, but was unable to meet them before they had retired for the night. Their voices oddly pulled at his heart strings and he felt some form of nostalgia that he couldn't explain. He heard them again that morning, and there was something in the recesses of his mind telling him to meet them.

Kenshin ran his calloused fingers through his knotted hair as he pulled out the clothes he intended to sport that day from the wardrobe closet. Choosing a dark blue button up shirt and a pair of simple blue jeans he strolled out his room. His stomach was tight in hunger and he needed to appease it if he wanted to be able to concentrate. He couldn't believe he had allowed his boss to convince him to participate in this bizarre game.

However, when Hiko wants to convince you of something, you are convinced. He took the elevator and noticed with a sense of unease that there seemed to be no life in the castle. He knew good and well that there were several inhabitants. He had already met most the previous day. As he looked from face to face though, he felt as if he was missing something.

Some of the people seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place them. It was a similar feeling to the one he had when he first met Hiko all those years ago. Others he knew they were total strangers and there was no odd familiarity with them.

He could hear the sound of laughter coming from the dining hall. One of the voices seemed to stick out from the rest. It reminded him of home, a fantasy home, for he had never really known of a real one. Kenshin pushed open the door and was then rooted to his feet. 

A name that seemed engraved in his very soul rolled off his lips. "Kaoru-dono," he found himself saying. The head of dark, thick, silky raven hair turned and he was met with the most stunning sapphire orbs and his heart stopped for a moment. The one he had addressed smiled at him fondly. 

"Yes?" Kaoru asked the handsome man with flaming red hair. His amethyst eyes seemed wide in disbelief and confusion. She gestured to the seat on her left. "Care to join us?"

Speechless, Kenshin took the offered seat. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of her and continued to stare at her. Her eyes, hair, skin, lips, voice haunted him. He knew her. He knew he knew her. But he had no idea from where he could possibly know her.

Kenshin noticed the man besides Kaoru visibly stiffen when he looked at him, as if he was seeing a ghost. The ebon haired man with alabaster skin placed his hand upon the nap of Kaoru's neck and massaged the area possessively. 

"Are you another reader of Kaoru's works?" Aoshi demanded, keeping the suspicion he held about the new arrival clear from his face.

Taking the excuse offered, Kenshin nodded his head dumbly. "Yes, Kaoru, I am an avid reader of yours." Kenshin smiled at her in a way that would disarm an angry samurai. He extended his hand to her. "I am Himura."

Aoshi's ice blue eyes seemed to freeze at the name. 

Enishi cleared his throat. Not happy that Kaoru's attention was so easily taken away from him. Kaoru smiled at him to encourage him to continue with his list, uninterrupted. "I'll just allow you to meet the other guests on your own." Enishi decided.

Enishi looked at his sister and noticed she had a contemplative look upon her face. She was analyzing the odd reaction between Himura and Kamiya. The furtive glances that Shinomori seemed to cast towards the red haired man seemed to raise even more eye brows from the analytical woman.

A scream rang through out the castle. It echoed off the stone walls, muffled only slightly by the multitude of tapestries. Those eating breakfast all turned to one another to exchange glances before running off towards the sound.

The first one there was Himura, followed quickly by Aoshi and Kaoru. Soon Sanosuke and Megumi stood on the other side of the victim. Enishi showed up casually, pushing Tomoe's wheelchair. Misao seemed to drag and was in no real hurry to witness the scene.

No one else was present. 

The body was that of a young man. His hair was dirty blond and he looked as if he was shot in the stomach. Megumi reached down to feel for his carotid artery and smirked when she felt a healthy pulse. This had to have been the actor. You can play dead but you can't actually stop your heart from beating no matter how good you are.

She turned to Enishi. "Looks like we have a mystery to solve now."

Kenshin was staring down at the body. He hated the sight of blood. It always made him feel dirty and tainted. He reached down to feel the man's neck and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the pulse. He looked up at Kaoru, he wanted to team up with her. "Shall we look for clues?" 

Kaoru grinned at him. They had discussed some of her successes in solving difficult crimes. Tomoe actually had been the one disclosing the information. It turned out that the entire mystery fortnight was arranged to see her skills in person.

Kaoru nudged Aoshi in the ribs, "Shall we?" He merely looked down at her before allowing his eyes, shaded behind his ebon bangs, to scan the scene. In the far corner of the room, under the curtains he spotted a metallic shimmer. He pointed it out to Kaoru.

She moved towards the curtain and pulled it back before kneeling before the gun. Kenshin stood above her looking out the window. "It would seem the murder has left us a present before making his retreat out the window." Kenshin observed.

"Or her," Kaoru argued. "The killer could very well be female." Aoshi watched the odd woman that had sat beside him, Misao was her name, at that statement. He would have to agree with Kaoru. Women were very capable of being killers, same as men. He would have to stay even closer to Kaoru with characters such as her and Himura. They seemed a bit too interested in her.

Kenshin looked down at the sapphire eyes that were looking up. He smiled at her. "Of course you are correct, it could very well be female." Grinning triumphantly Kaoru used the napkin from breakfast she had brought to lift the gun. She walked over the Megumi.

"Do you think we could dust this for prints? Maybe using baking soda or some kind of common powder?" Kaoru inquired. She wasn't the expert at forensics.

"That won't work," Aoshi interrupted. Megumi nodded her head, agreeing with him. Kaoru looked at him in question, hoping for an explanation. "The baking soda would destroy the oils left by the fingerprints. Besides, it would be safe to assume the killer used gloves."

"Why would you say that?" Sanosuke asked; eyes fixed upon the 'dead' body. He glanced over at Megumi. He couldn't believe he allowed her to drag him along on this corny escapade.

Kenshin pointed outside of the window, into the courtyard. "He's right. There is a pair of black gloves in the bushes outside of this window."

Sanosuke walked towards the window, wanting to see for himself. He turned to Kaoru. "What do you think missy? Should we measure glove size?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Might as well, but if I was a murdered I would use gloves that were way too big, that way it could be anyone and suspicion would not be focused upon me."

Tomoe began to clap. "This is excellent! I told you this would be fun," her hollow brown eyes seemed to smile at her brother.

Enishi lightly pat the back of her shoulder. "Yes sister, they are doing a marvelous job. But they still have much to do, don't you agree?"

"Yes, you are right." Tomoe agreed. She redirected her attention to Kaoru. She seemed the only one that she was concerned about addressing. "You will have to solve this before more deaths occur. It is one thing to find the clues, but it is another to solve the mystery behind them."

"Yes ma'am," Kaoru smiled at the woman. "I won't allow anyone to die on my watch. I'll have this solved so quick that we'll have to play scrabble to pass the time until our fortnight is over." 

Aoshi allowed a small smile to grace his lips at the confidence Kamiya displayed. He looked back down at the 'dead' body as he opened his eyes and quickly shut them. Yeah, it looked like they had _sooooo_ much to fear.

He walked back over towards Kaoru and wrapped his arm across her shoulder. He took the gun from her hands and began to lead her to the elevator. "I know of another method of acquiring fingerprints."

Megumi watched as they left and then turned to Enishi confused. "So are we supposed to all be working together or solve this ourselves?" 

Enishi shrugged, not really caring. He was only doing this game to entertain his sister. 

Kenshin looked thoughtful. "That's an excellent point. Because if we are trying to solve the case individually, perhaps it was a bad idea to allow anyone to leave with the murder weapon."

"Good point!" Sanosuke exclaimed as he slapped Kenshin across the back, causing the smaller man to lurch forward with the force. "Who are you now?"

Amethyst eyes rolled but he answered none the less. "Himura."

###################

Aoshi gently guided Kaoru to the elevator, she was still looking at the gun closely analyzing the details of it. She looked up at him when he ushered them both inside of the floor raising contraption and punched the number three.

"Going to our room?" Kaoru inquired, with a raised brow. "We really should focus on the case, _darling_." She toyed with him sarcastically.

Aoshi frowned at her coy attitude but didn't respond as the elevator's bell went off and they exited to creep towards their room. Aoshi pulled out the key from his front pocket and unlocked the door. He locked it securely behind him.

"This is a bit dull. I don't even think there are real bullets in this gun. Blanks most likely, considering the ketchup bloodstain on the so called victim." Kaoru sighed as she sat upon the edge of the bed.

Aoshi walked towards his luggage and pulled out a roll of thick, clear, packaging tape. He moved towards Kaoru and extracted a large piece of tape from the roll. He lightly placed it upon the handle of the pistol and pulled it off quickly. He grinned at his companion when fingerprints, clear as day, were revealed on the sticky substance.

Kaoru looked at him skeptically. "So what do we do now oh wise detective? Go around and get everyone's finger prints on tape. Then compare with our naked eye whose looks closest?"

Sighing, Aoshi crumpled up the tape much to Kaoru's distress. "No! I was kidding! Now we have nothing." She complained when Aoshi tossed the useless tape across the room. 

Sitting beside her, Aoshi forced Kaoru to look at him and not the useless tape. "Kaoru, this whole thing is pointless. There are no real murders to solve; don't you find this entire episode quite the waste of our valuable time? We could be out there solving real crimes."

Kaoru frowned at his words. "You never know Aoshi. What if we are supposed to be here to prevent a murder? With all of us here known for our puzzle solving minds, surely we serve as a great deterrent. Let's just enjoy this little vacation if you see it as nothing more than a waste of time."

Aoshi stood and offered his hand to Kaoru. Hesitantly she accepted it. His large calloused hand held firm to her smaller, daintier one. "Let us at least find the other players to this game. If we are to play properly we must know our competition."

Smiling, Kaoru squeezed his hand before extracting hers from it. "Excellent idea, darling."

Undeterred, Aoshi unlocked the door and placed his arm loosely around her shoulder. She looked up at him quizzically. "For appearances," Aoshi explained. Inwardly he wondered about the coincidence between his dream and the reactions of Himura. That was the mystery he was going to solve on this vacation.

Kaoru seemed to notice his penitent look. She reached for his shoulder and his eyes locked with hers. "Something on your mind?"

Aoshi blinked, trying to clear his mind of a pregnant Kaoru, going by the married name of Himura. "Had you met Himura before?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No, but he did seem familiar. Did he remind you of anyone?"

"No." Aoshi answered as he hit the down button on the elevator. It would seem that many of the people he was running into lately were appearing in his dreams. Even that Misao girl had haunted him during the night. Not wanting to think about such things, Aoshi decided that the second floor seemed like a good place to begin searching for the other inhabitants of the castle.

**TBC**


	7. Day Three

**Crimson Tears: Chapter 7  
**  
**Day 3  
**  
That night, as Kaoru slept on unawares beside him, Aoshi was being plagued with a disturbing dream. It was more of a nightmare.  
  
_He was dressed in those garbs of the past again. He and that Misao girl have gone into a village that was near Kyoto. It was known for being the residence of several gypsies. What he found disturbed him greatly. Saito was leaning against a building, holding his abdomen his sword bloody in his hand. At his feet lay a woman, dead of a wound caused no doubt by his blade.  
_  
_Not far from him Kaoru was seen, blood was heavy on her skirt. She didn't seem to have any wounds but the blood was so much. She and the red haired man, Himura, her husband, were grasping onto one another. His body was cut up, his flesh was covered in his life's blood and at least three of his wounds looked mortal.  
_  
_His normally lavender eyes were amber with fury as they locked on Aoshi's ice blue ones. Misao had started to run to Kaoru's side but that look that Kenshin sent Aoshi caused him to stop her with a firm hand upon her shoulder. He pointed her towards Saito, to deal with the wolf of Mibu.  
  
Aoshi walked over towards Kenshin and kneeled beside him awaiting his request. Gasping for breath, Kenshin's voice remained strong. "Kaoru, you must protect her. My life is spent. I only regret that I couldn't have confessed my love to Kaoru sooner. I wasted so many years. Tell her that for me after I'm gone"  
_  
_He swallowed thickly. "Tell her that I'll always love her. Tell her not to concern herself with the words that were spoken today, there was no truth to it. Tell her that all is well." His eyes closed behind heavy eyelids, when they opened lavender orbs peered back at him. "Protect her for me Aoshi. Do not let her die." With surprising strength he gripped Aoshi's forearm. "Promise me Aoshi."  
  
"I will not let any harm befall Kamiya Kaoru, this I, Aoshi Shinomori, swear." Kenshin's grip went lax as he moved his hand to Kaoru's cheek before falling to his side as he joined all those who had fallen under his blade during the revolution and his long deceased family in eternal rest.  
  
Aoshi removed Kaoru from Kenshin and placed her across his lap. He could feel her breathing was shallow and her pulse was too slow. He looked over at Misao who had helped Saito to his feet.  
  
"This is useless. We are both about to join the Battousai in moments." Saito told him, his voice void of any emotion as his eyes first fell upon the dead woman at his feet, then to Kenshin's body, and finally rested on Kaoru.  
  
He pulled himself out of Misao's helpful hold and limped towards Kaoru. He rested his hand upon her forehead and looked at Aoshi with a trace of sadness in his amber eyes. "I failed her. I won't do it again." Then Saito Hajime, the wolf of Mibu fell to the ground dead.  
  
"Come Misao, we must get Kamiya to the doctor and fast." Aoshi began to run, holding his burden close to his chest. He knew she had suffered a miscarriage but surely she would survive. The baby was gone but he knew that Kaoru was strong. Besides he made a promise to protect her and he would.  
  
He arrived at the Aoiya while Misao continued to run and seek medical help. Aoshi knew a little about medicine from his time of trying to prove the best warrior alive after the death of his comrades. His chest was littered with scars from all the blades that pierced his flesh.  
_  
_He removed Kaoru's clothes, shaking himself when he paused to admire her. The woman was dying and he was fantasizing about a dead man's wife. A dead man who was alive but fifteen minutes ago and had this young wife travel across Japan out of concern for him.  
  
She had lost so much blood by the time the doctor arrived. That useless doctor that had told him there was nothing he could do. She had lost too much blood. Aoshi had demanded the doctor use his blood to replace hers but the doctor was unaware of the Western medicine technique that allowed the transfer of blood from a donor to a recipient.  
  
He yelled at the man and demanded everyone leave him alone. The door shut behind them and he was left alone with Kaoru, who was about to die from blood loss following two fine warriors, Himura and Saito to the grave. Tears began to swim in his icy orbs, their glacial covering fracturing under the intense emotions.  
_  
_Kaoru surprised him then. Her hand rose to his cheek and brushed away the single tear that had escaped his tight control. She smiled at him. No, she smiled for him. "Thank you Aoshi, you did everything you could. Do not be upset. It is my time." She said it so calmly, she couldn't possibly be ready to die. She was too young!  
  
Aoshi shook his head stubbornly. Visions of all his comrades dying and of him living pranced around his mind. It wasn't fair! He took one of his blades and sliced his wrist and then he sliced the wrist of Kaoru's that was near his face. He linked their wrists together. "Take it! I don't want it!"  
  
Kaoru's sapphire orbs widened at the feel of Aoshi's blood mixing with hers. She shook her head at him sadly. "I know what you are trying to do and It won't work Aoshi-kun. Please live for me." He shook his head and stared at their wrists, willing his blood to replace hers.  
  
"I promised not to let anything bad happen to you." He looked down at her and moved so that his mouth was but an inch from hers. Their noses touching lightly in the process and told her forcefully, "I will follow you into the next world if that is what it takes to fulfill my promise." He solemnly vowed.  
_  
_Kaoru's eyes closed painfully, as her heart was running low on blood to pump. "No Aoshi, you don't want to do that. We were cursed! Kenshin, Hajime, and I were all cursed! I can't have you suffer our fate. Please Aoshi, take back those words before it is too late." Tears began to leak from her closed eyes as she tried to protect the man before her from a fate worse than death. He didn't need to know!  
  
Aoshi knew she had but moments to live and bearing witness to those tear drops drove him over the edge. He couldn't stop himself from crushing his lips against hers in a brief lip lock, it was something he had always wanted to do since he first met her. The only problem was when her mouth wasn't running she was in love with Battousai. He opened his icy orbs to lock with hers again. She looked so confused.  
  
He smiled sadly at her, mimicking the smile she had given to him only recently. "No Kaoru, my fate is tied with yours. I have made this pact with blood and sealed it with a kiss. I will protect you."  
_  
_Then he saw her lips curve into a small smile, knowing that she was not alone in the end. He knew that was one of her biggest fears, to die alone. He looked down at his wrist that was still bleeding freely. He could stop the blood flow and live, without her, without his rivals, without his friends. Or, he could join her now.  
_  
Aoshi woke up gasping for breath as Kaoru was shaking him. "Aoshi! Are you alright? You were crying in your sleep. I've never seen you like that. What happened? Please tell me." Kaoru was pleading with him, voice full of strength. It was full of strength because she was alive.  
  
Aoshi pulled her to him and hugged her close against him whispering near her ear while he hid his face within her dark silky hair. "I'm just glad to be alive and that you are alive as well."  
  
Kaoru lightly rubbed small circles on his lower back where her arms rested. What was he talking about? "It's alright Aoshi, you were just having a bad dream. But it's almost ten in the morning. We over slept." Kaoru informed him, feeling his stiffen slightly when she mentioned the time.  
  
Aoshi pulled back sharply, seeming to have gotten over his little emotional episode, completely confusing Kaoru in the process. "I can not believe I have slept that late." He looked towards the window on the other side of the room to see the midmorning sun.  
  
Kaoru stood from the bed and offered an unsure smile to ease him. "Well we did stay up late last night trying to meet the other guests. It only makes sense that you would be exhausted."  
  
"I suppose," Aoshi replied, allowing his emotionless mask to blanket his face once more. He would have to be careful in this environment. Spending so much time with Kamiya was making him hallucinate. He wasn't thrilled about having an over active imagination.  
  
###############  
  
A half hour after waking, later in the morning than intended, Kaoru tossed the beanbag back to Aoshi and he caught it aptly. She turned to smile at the young man beside her whom the hackeysack belonged to. He had a bright smile on his face.  
  
Aoshi surmised that perhaps his facial muscles were stuck in that position because no one in the right mind would smile that often.  
  
"So, Soujiro, what brought you to this castle?" Kaoru asked, her journalistic nature taking effect.  
  
"I've always enjoyed a challenge. I had never done anything like this. But, when Master Shishio told me about this I jumped at the opportunity." Soujiro explain, smile never wavering from his countenance.  
  
"And this Shishio is here as well?" Aoshi inquired. He and Kaoru had been fairly unsuccessful in finding the twenty some odd other guests. They did however meet Soujiro. It was all he could do the night before to prevent Kaoru from banging on all the doors until she found the one named Yahiko.  
  
He was thankful that he hadn't so much as heard a whisper from either Himura or Misao.  
  
"Yes, Shishio and his mistress Yumi are both here. I'm surprsied you haven't met them yet. I didn't think the castle was that big." Soujiro told them, his smile slipping off his face as he held his chin in some sort of silent contemplation.  
  
A scream caught the attention of the three who had become absorbed in their own private reflections. They raced down the hall, Soujiro getting there faster with impressive speed.  
  
Lying on the floor was a woman with long red hair that reached her waist. Aoshi felt slightly ashamed at his self for feeling disappointed that the red hair didn't belong to someone else. He crushed that feeling; jealousy wasn't something he was familiar with. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything to be jealous over. It wasn't like he cared about Kaoru. He was just supposed to protect her.  
  
Himura, Misao, Enishi, and a woman with long lavender locks stood around the body.  
  
Enishi's normally calm features seemed slightly disturbed. He looked confused before bending over the victim to check her pulse. His turquoise eyes locked with Kaoru's sapphire ones. "She's really dead. This isn't part of the game."  
  
Kaoru moved closer to the victim and leaned against the same wall Himura was propped against as she fought the wave of unexpected emotions surging within her at the site. Aoshi leaned down towards the body and turned her on her side, the gaping hole that stretched vertically from hip to sternum confirming she was beyond revival. It would seem as if the woman was slashed across her torso with a sword.  
  
The only times Kaoru saw anything of that nature was in her dreams and the crime scenes related to them. But, even those gruesome images weren't akin to this. Battosai was efficient with his killings. Normally it would just be a quick thrust to the heart or an extra grin carved across the throat stretching from ear to ear. This however had nothing to do with the Battosai for she would have seen it happening, right?  
  
Aoshi continued to examine body across from Enishi, silently wondering where Megumi was with her forensic expertise. From the touch of the victim's skin he surmised that she had been dead for at least half an hour. That would have been right after he and Kaoru had awoken for the day, so the possibility of Battosai being the perpetrator was still valid.  
  
He watched as Soujiro comforted the unfamiliar woman.  
  
Enishi sat back away from the victim, a worried expression marring his handsome face. However, the sight of the bloodshed didn't seem to disturb him.  
  
Aoshi stood and moved to stand before Soujiro and the woman. "Were you the one who screamed?" He asked her. She didn't look like she wanted to answer the blue eyed detective.  
  
"It's okay Yumi, you can trust him," Soujiro coaxed her as he tried to calm her down.  
  
She nodded, turning her gaze to meet Aoshi's.  
  
"Did you see anyone else?" Aoshi demanded, rifling his thin fingers through the ebon bangs that had fallen over his eyes.  
  
She shook her head, no. "I didn't do it though!" She began to break down into hysterics.  
  
Aoshi hated dealing with hysterical women. He looked to Kaoru for help. She offered him a weak smile telling him silently she would assume the interrogation of the witness. She pushed against the wall to move away from it.  
  
However, in pushing against the wall she caused it to rotate and she and Himura disappeared behind a stone wall.  
  
Aoshi glared at Enishi as he moved towards the wall and began prodding it, ignoring the dead victim now. He had other priorities of greater concern at the moment.  
  
He could not find the triggered device to open it. He turned to Enishi who had risen beside him. "How does this open? Where does it lead?"  
  
Enishi stared at the stones. "Once it is activated, it can only be accessed from the other side. It leads several miles underground. I've never actually checked it out all the way."  
  
Enishi scratched the back of his neck as he stared at the stones harder. "I don't normally live at this castle; I'm usually in the city working with business deals. Perhaps Tomoe will have a better idea. Of course, they will probably realize they can open the wall back from their side and be rejoining us shortly."  
  
A few minutes had passed and neither Koaru nor Himura re-emerged. No noise traveled through the stones either. Aoshi's fist slammed against the wall in defeat. He then took a cleansing breath to calm his anger. "Tell me exactly what you know, Mr. Yukishiro."  
  
#################  
  
Kaoru didn't understand. One moment she was leaning against the stone wall and the next she and Himura had fallen into darkness. The pair had tumbled down a flight of stairs at the unexpected loss of balance.  
  
"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin shouted her name as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her frame against him, effectively cushioning her fall on the hard floor.  
  
They landed about fifteen stairs down on a slight platform that was the only thing that prevented them from falling down countless more stairs.  
  
Kenshin landed upon his back, hard with Kaoru landing on top of him. The breath was forced out of his lungs as he reflexively tightened his arms around her.  
  
"Kenshin are you okay?" Kaoru asked, her voice laced with concern as she pulled her arms away from Kenshin's chest to cup his cheeks. She turned his face to either side, checking for any damage.  
  
"I'm fine Miss Kaoru, but how did you know my name?" Kenshin asked, his violet eyes squinting in the darkness in his effort to make out her features, but to no avail.  
  
Kaoru released his face and he unwound his arms from her as they both rose to their feet. Kaoru leaned against the wall, careful to not push any possible levers as she tried to calm her frantic heartbeat caused from their tumble. "I don't know. I just, you must have told me." Kaoru decided.  
  
Kenshin shook his head as he grabbed hold of her elbow. "It doesn't matter. Right now we need to find our way out of here." Kenshin told her as he began to lead her down the stairs.  
  
"Shouldn't we be going up the stairs? Maybe we can open the wall again." Kaoru argued, refusing to allow him to pull her after him.  
  
Sighing in exasperation, Kenshin turned to her. "Miss Kaoru, I can not see and do not want to feel along a wall that most likely has more traps that could cause us injury."  
  
Kaoru chewed the inside of her cheek as she thought over his reason. "But, isn't it more dangerous to travel down stairs into darkness, not knowing where this path leads?"  
  
Kenshin tapped her nose with his index finger. "Not quite. I'm rather familiar with traveling underground. I can feel the outside breeze from here."  
  
He reached for her elbow again and she allowed him to guide her, although reluctantly. "I still don't think this is a good idea. I don't feel any breezes. I think you are either hallucinating or lying."  
  
Kenshin paused. He turned to look at her, his eyes had finally adjusted and he could barely make out the sapphire gems that flashed at him in ire. "I do not lie."  
  
Kaoru looked away from him and huffed indignantly. "Yeah, well as if I haven't heard that line before. You men seem to think you are always right even when you have no clue what you are doing."  
  
Kenshin decided to let that comment slide and continued to pick their way down the stairs. Truth be told, she was right. It would be easier to get back to the others by going up the stairs. However, this was the easiest way to get some time alone with Kaoru.  
  
That Aoshi fellow didn't seem particularly fond of him and he really felt like he needed to speak with Kaoru. There was something about her that drew him to her. It was as if destiny had drawn them together. It reminded him of the feeling that drew him to his mentor, Hiko.  
  
The two walked in silence in the dark. Kaoru moved her other hand to lay gently across Kenshin's arm that currently had possession of her. "Kenshin, I don't suppose this is a good time to tell you I suffer from Achluophobia."  
  
Kenshin faltered in his footsteps. "What kind of illness is that? Do you need some kind of inhaler like for Asthma? Or shots like for Diabetes, because if so, I don't know what to do to help you." Kenshin's voice began to sound a bit unnerved as he all sorts of wild possibilities flashed through his head at what that elusive word could possibly mean.  
  
"It's a phobia actually," Kaoru corrected.  
  
"Okay, so would you mind translating that to simple terms for this unworthy one?" Kenshin asked as he continued guiding them further into darkness and deeper into the ground.  
  
"It's a fear of the dark," Kaoru voiced barely above a whisper.  
  
Kenshin stopped walking and turned towards her. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Of course I'm serious! Why would I joke about something like that?" Kaoru demanded, her temper rising and starting to feel rather representative of the Tanuki that Hajime had dubbed her as.  
  
"Do you think you'll be able to handle it down here then? I mean, I'll be here to protect you. But, will you be alright?" Kenshin asked worried, he ignored his own annoyance at her raised voice; it was a bit entertaining to have her yell at him. Nobody ever yelled at him, except for his mentor.  
  
Kaoru closed her eyes briefly, there was hardly any point to keep them open anyway, and it wasn't like she could actually see anything in front of her. "I'll be alright."  
  
Kenshin accepted her answer. Now that he had her alone with him he should ask some questions. Maybe they had met before when they were children. He knew her from somewhere!  
  
"So, are you with Aoshi?" He asked, trying to keep the uncalled for jealous feeling in the pit of his stomach under control.  
  
Kaoru didn't want to lie to Kenshin. But, she owed it to Saito to keep up the charade. He wouldn't have wanted her to pretend unless there was a good reason. "I recently accepted his offer for marriage," Kaoru replied. It wasn't exactly a lie. He did ask after all.  
  
"I see. So how long have you two known one another?" Kenshin asked, it just seemed funny to him that those two would be an item. Kaoru seemed more like the sort of person that would be with someone like, well, him, or maybe even that Enishi character, though he would be loath to admit that.  
  
"Not too long. He helped me get over a recent heartbreak of mine and we just connected. He is a great man and I respect him." Kaoru answered. Hopefully Kenshin would stop asking such questions, it was making her nervous.  
  
Kenshin could tell that Kaoru was uncomfortable with this line of questioning and it only made him more curious. He really could hear the roar of wind distantly now. He needed to finish his little interrogation before then. "Would you like to rest for a moment?"  
  
He could feel Kaoru nod at the suggestion and they sat across from one another on the stairwell. Kaoru broke the silence this time. "Have you seen many of the other guests? Aoshi and I haven't really met everyone and we have tried."  
  
"I've met a few. Are you on the third floor?" Kenshin asked, trying to steer the conversation back towards her relationship with the detective.  
  
"Yes," Kaoru answered hesitantly.  
  
"I believe I heard you and Aoshi when you arrived that first night. I'm also on the third floor. I have my own room, as do most of the guests according to Enshi." Kenshin informed her.  
  
"Really, I was under the impression that we were to be housed two to a room," Kaoru argued. If that wasn't the case then Megumi was certainly going to have to do some answering for her crimes!  
  
Kenshin shrugged in the darkness, but decided not to continue that line of conversation. It was drab and not really answering any questions. "Who do you think killed that woman?"  
  
"I don't know. I came here because I was sort of hoping that the Battousai would also show up and be careless." Kaoru answered honestly. It should be obvious to anyone that was familiar with her work, which Himura had claimed to be.  
  
"So do you think he did it?" Kenshin asked curiously. He hadn't expected that answer.  
  
Kaoru stood and offered him her hand. He accepted and they began to continue the walk down the stairs towards the tunnel that was not too far ahead of them. "Doubtful, it didn't feel like something he would do. Hey," she paused in her walk as they reached the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Yes?" Kenshin replied, internally puzzling over her answer of it not feeling like something Battosai would do. How would she know what that feels like?  
  
"Have you met, Yahiko?" Kaoru asked, her voice hitching slightly at the name.  
  
Kenshin blinked in the darkness at her. "I have not. I heard about him from Tomoe yesterday. He apparently has been spending all his time with that teenage daughter of Tae, Enishi's servant."  
  
"Oh," Kaoru replied, obviously disappointed as they kept walking. Would they ever get out of this darkness? It was really unnerving her. She couldn't wait to get back into the light.  
  
"Who is this Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, a sliver of light breaking the intense darkness they had been traveling within. He could hear Kaoru sigh in relief at no longer being in darkness.  
  
"I used to know someone by that name. He was very dear to me, but nearly ten years ago he was lost at sea. It was believed that he perished, but his body was never found." Kaoru replied, memories of the funeral held for her beloved brother flashing through her mind.  
  
Before Kenshin could offer any words of wisdom or sympathy a new presence disturbed their privacy. The light at the end of the tunnel increased, as if a door had been opened.  
  
"Kaoru? Mr. Himura? Are you two alright?" The worried voice of Tomoe could be heard. A shuffling of feet and two pairs of flashlights later, the silhouettes of Aoshi and Enishi could be seen approaching.  
  
Aoshi ran to Kaoru and Enishi turned back around after spotting the two they were searching for go back and push Tomoe's wheelchair into the underground vault. Aoshi reached for Kaoru and pulled her tight against his chest, effectively separating her from Himura. He didn't trust the man, and now he was certain that he was up to something. His dream still haunted him and there were too many unanswered questions.  
  
"Are you two okay?" Enishi inquired. Kenshin nodded and Kaoru remained silenced by Aoshi's presence as he held her face against his neck. "Why didn't you open the wall from your side and re-enter the room?" Enishi asked, suspicious at the actions.  
  
At first the British lord felt that Aoshi was being over-protective and paranoid, but after talking with Tomoe and looking for the other end of the tunnels he was suspicious about the action himself.  
  
"I felt it would be a better idea to exit through the tunnel," Kenshin replied in a deadpan voice. The carefree smile he had plastered to his face for the past few days long gone at the disturbed feeling he had at seeing Aoshi hold Kaoru. It wasn't as if he really knew her or anything, but it still felt wrong.  
  
"A better idea?" Enishi repeated quietly to himself when it became apparent that Kenshin was not about to elaborate. He and Aoshi exchanged disbelieving looks. "Well, how about dinner then? I'm afraid the two of you have been wandering these passages for quite a few hours."  
  
"What time is it?" Kaoru asked, it was ten thirty when they were investigating the murder. It couldn't have been that much later.  
  
"It's nearly five," Aoshi answered her, casting Himura an icy glare.  
  
"Five?" Kaoru repeated in disbelief.  
  
Aoshi looked past her towards Enishi as they all left the confines of the underground. It was crisp weather outside. Next to him, Kaoru shivered, causing Aoshi to wrap his arms tight around her and pull her to his side to share warmth. "Lord Yukishiro, if you would excuse us, we would like to take dinner in our room."  
  
"Of course," Enishi answered slightly distracted. He was still pondering Himura's answer for why they journeyed down the passageways. He should have pounded on the stone wall at least. He looked from Kenshin to Kaoru, perhaps the two had intended on privately conversing with one another.  
  
With a murderer in his household he couldn't ignore any odd behaviors.  
  
#################  
  
Back in their room, Kaoru explained to Aoshi that Kenshin was harmless. He wouldn't hurt a fly.  
  
"Kenshin?" Aoshi interrupted her as she was beginning to talk on and on about how wonderful the red haired man was. "I thought his name was Himura."  
  
"Oh, it is, but his first name is Kenshin." Kaoru explained, hoping that Aoshi wouldn't ask how she found this out. Hopefully the detective would assume the red haired man had shared the knowledge with her.  
  
"Did he tell you his first name?" Aoshi demanded as he finished off the remainder of food on his plate and set it aside on the small table near the door of the room. His eyes dared Kaoru to lie to him as he relaxed on the bed that they were sitting upon.  
  
"No, I blurted it out after we fell down that first set of stairs. But, I must have met him before or he must have told us what it was earlier." Kaoru answered, certain that the man had introduced himself to them earlier and that was the explanation.  
  
Aoshi looked thoughtfully at the large painting that was on the wall behind the bed. His dream from the night before plaguing him. He looked back down at Kaoru. "Have you been having any odd dreams lately?"  
  
"No," she answered. "The only odd sort of dreams I have, you'd know about them," she joked trying to lighten the dark mood her companion had obviously fallen in. "Did you? Is that why you slept so late this morning?"  
  
Aoshi laughed softly at that. "Why I slept so late? I believe when I awoke you were still sound asleep my dear."  
  
Kaoru blushed cutely at that and crossed her arms indignantly. "Well, maybe I was just sleeping late so that you wouldn't feel bad about being a bum. I'm sympathetic person don't you know?"  
  
Unexpectedly Aoshi, reached over and hugged her to him. He inhaled her scent and was reassured that she was indeed alive and well. "I was really worried about you," he confessed in her ear, his breath tickling her skin as he spoke.  
  
"There was no need to worry, I was perfectly safe," Kaoru reassured him, tentatively hugging him back in return.  
  
Abruptly, Aoshi released her and stood from the bed. "You should rest; I'm going downstairs to talk with some of the other guests. Don't let anyone in here, do you hear me?" He paused at the door, and looked back at her over his shoulder.  
  
Kaoru nodded silently and he opened the door to leave, locking it behind him.  
  
**TBC**

_Aoshi/Kaoru recommendation:_

_Sorrow Mingled Tears by Massao-na-Mizu_

_Kaoru escaped the abusive Lord Battosai and was rescued by the stoic Aoshi Shinomori. Now blinded and having no idea of what her savior looks like Kaoru must deal with a jealous Misao and an angry Lord Battosai._


	8. Day Four

**Crimson Tears: Day Four**  
  
Aoshi sat in the study well past midnight with Enishi and Kenshin. Each were eyeing the others with suspicion. Aoshi calmly lifted his cup of steaming tea to his lips and swallowed the burning brew nonchalantly.  
  
He could feel his throat scream for attention from the assault but he showed no visible signs of discomfort. He stared back at the other two men stonily. "Who was she?"  
  
"A guest by the name of Natasha," Enishi replied before focusing his attention on Kenshin. "Himura, were the two of you not engaged in a lively debate last night?"  
  
Kenshin narrowed his lavender eyes at Enishi, flecks of amber evident within them. "I would hardly call it a lively debate. It was more along the lines that she wanted to keep me 'company' during the night and I informed her that I was not interested."  
  
Enishi sneered, "What's the matter Himura? Got your sights set on another type of companion?" He taunted. He wasn't sure why he was acting like a ten-year-old brat around Himura, but something deep inside drove him to antagonize the man. Perhaps it was his small stature? Doubtful, he didn't feel his inner child wanting to bully Soujiro.  
  
Undaunted, Himura reclined in his chair and propped his chin on top of his hands as his elbows rested high on the arm rests. He looked pointedly at Aoshi in open challenge. "There is someone at this castle whom I would take up such an offer with."  
  
Aoshi took another draught from his scalding tea before setting it on the end table beside him. "I'm a lucky man to have Kaoru warming my bed every night."  
  
"Unless something were to happen to you," Kenshin replied as equally collected as the detective.  
  
"Is that a threat?" Enishi interrupted. Kenshin smiled in a manner that would send a woman's heart plummeting to her feet, too bad there were only two cold, calculating men on the receiving end of it.  
  
"No, I was simply making the observation," he answered.  
  
Aoshi directed his attention to Enishi. "Where are the other guests? My fiancé and I still haven't met half the people here."  
  
Enishi took off his blue tinted spectacles and wiped the lenses with his shirttail. "I wish I knew."  
  
#################  
  
Kaoru refused to close her eyes. She longed for sleep but dreaded the consequences. Aoshi had been gone for over six hours and she was so drowsy. She wanted to find Megumi and Sanosuke, but didn't know where their room was.  
  
If Aoshi saw her wandering the halls unescorted with a murderer on the prowl she was sure to receive an ear full. It was the middle of the night in Britain but it was the middle of the afternoon where Hajime was.  
  
A bright smile lit up her face at the prospect of talking to the love of her life. The phone was in her hand, ready to dial, but she paused as another thought crossed her mind, followed by a frown.  
  
He sent her here and practically forced her to spend every moment of her time under the ever watchful eye day and night of a very handsome Aoshi Shinomori.  
  
Her gaze fell upon her former engagement ring that now represented a lie. A dejected sigh escaped her lips. That should be a sure sign that Hajime wanted her to move on, because he obviously had in order to treat the item in such a detached manner.  
  
She lay the phone aside and moved towards the window doors that led to the balcony outside her room. Maybe the crisp night air would keep her awake until Aoshi returned.  
  
Half an hour passed but Kaoru's teeth were chattering too much for her to remain out in the cold air. Upset with her lack of endurance for the chill, Kaoru walked back inside just in time to hear someone knocking on the door.  
  
Thinking it was Aoshi, she pulled open the door in a flurry with a tantrum ready to spill out of her mouth.  
  
Only, it wasn't Aoshi.  
  
####################  
  
Aoshi returned to the room exhausted from his meeting. He didn't like either Himura or Yukishiro. But, he also didn't think either was responsible for the death of Natasha.  
  
It had to have been one of the other countless guests he had yet to meet. He knocked lightly on the door ready to retire. He just wanted to go to bed and worry about this mystery in the morning. He was confident that all his troubles would seem far away once he held Kaoru in his arms. Granted she would be unconscious and unaware of the comfort he took from such an act.  
  
There was no answer. She must have already been asleep. He pulled out his key to unlock the door, but to his surprise it was already unlocked. He pushed the door in cautiously.  
  
The room was empty.  
  
"Curse that Tanuki," he muttered under his breath as he explored the room for clues leading to her whereabouts. There was no note.  
  
The window was open, sending a breeze to make the curtains dance eerily.  
  
He noticed her cell phone out and picked it up. Saito's number was on the screen. Had she been about to call him because she was in danger?  
  
He flew out the room, but ran into Kenshin in the hallway. He gripped the smaller man by the upper arms painfully. "Have you seen Kaoru?"  
  
Kenshin calmly plucked off Aoshi's hands to free his arms. He smirked, "I haven't been to my room yet."  
  
Aoshi reeled back his fist and knocked the air out of Himura's stomach, sending him stumbling into the wall. "I don't have time for this." Aoshi brushed past him, but Kenshin ran after him with a hand over his sore stomach.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I'll help find her." Kenshin told him, his voice determined.  
  
"I don't need your help," Aoshi informed him icily.  
  
"I'm not helping you. I'm helping her." Kenshin corrected. "There is a difference."  
  
#################  
  
On the fifth floor on the Southern wing of the castle, Kaoru's sides were hurting from laughing so much. She hadn't felt so carefree in who knows how long! She was starting to laugh uncontrollably now at the latest witty comment Soujiro expressed.  
  
Sitting beside her, Sanosuke awkwardly rubbed her back, trying to get her to stop her odd hysterical laughter. "Say missy, you going to be okay? Don't want you to spit out a lung in the process."  
  
"No, no, I'm fine." Kaoru assured him as she tried to take deep breaths and control her breathing. It just felt so good to laugh. She didn't realize how stressed out she had been until right now.  
  
She looked on her other side, the grin never left her face. Abruptly she hugged the young man sitting beside her. He tried half-heartedly to extract himself from her crushing embrace, but finally ceded and hugged her just as feverently.  
  
"Geez, Kaoru, we've been together for about two hours now. I'd think you'd have figured out I'm not some phantom by now," Yahiko chided when Kaoru finally pulled back from him.  
  
Kaoru shook her head, tears swimming in her eyes once again. "It's just, after all these years, I thought you were dead."  
  
Beside her, Sanosuke put his arm lightly around her shoulder. "It's alright, we all thought that. Megumi and I happened to run across him this afternoon."  
  
"Kaoru, I'm so sorry. But, I only recovered my memory about a month ago. I saw your name in the newspaper talking about how you had won some sort of journalism award for mystery solving pieces. Then I got wind of this opportunity and I knew you would be here." Yahiko explained for the umpteenth time.  
  
Kaoru just shook her head in disbelief. "It's just, you're here and alive. And you aren't calling me ugly anymore! It's just all so surreal."  
  
"So, did you end up meeting many of the other guests today?" Misao asked from her seat on the couch across from Kaoru. She was sitting beside Soujiro and it seemed like she had completely forgotten about Mr. Aoshi Shinomori.  
  
"No, you guys are pretty much the only people I've seen since we've been here." Kaoru replied. For a moment she forgot the comfort of the new friends she was spending time with. Her mind was focused on the red haired woman, that was dead.  
  
Then the secret passage that she had explored with Kenshin created more questions for her. Who's to say there weren't more secret passages? This place was a murderer's paradise and a potential victim's hell.  
  
"What did Aoshi think of your little stroll with Mr. Himura?" Megumi asked, a mischievous twinkle lit her eyes.  
  
At first Kaoru was drawing a blank on the name Himura, then she realized she was talking about Kenshin. "Well, he did lock me in our room." Kaoru admitted, looking down at her lap embarrassed by the revelation.  
  
Apparently her comment had everyone exchanging nervous looks with one another. "Um, Kaoru, does Aoshi know you are here?" Soujiro asked, his friendly smile firmly in place.  
  
Kaoru shifted uncomfortably and flashed Sanosuke a pleading look. "But I hadn't seen Yahiko in so long and I was so excited, that I completely forgot and....."  
  
The American boxer, Sanosuke, held up a hand to stop her. He smirked at her. "You know little missy, I'm not the one who is going to demand an explanation."  
  
"No, that would be me."  
  
Everyone froze at the entrance of two deadly hunters as they entered the lair of their prey. Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, Megumi, Sourijo, and Misao all shared the same expression. However, Kaoru's was a shade more apprehensive when she locked eyes with an icy blue rage.  
  
Kenshin stood beside Aoshi, quiet, scanning the inhabitants of the friendly circle as if he was categorizing every detail about them for future reference. His normally lavender eyes were amber when he first entered the room but were slightly melting into a harmless lavender.  
  
"Aoshi," Kaoru whispered. It was the only word she could think of, all explanations she had running through her brain to use were suddenly abandoned her when faced with the detective.  
  
Aoshi's attention was directly sole upon Kaoru. He was so relieved to have found her safe and sound. He wanted an explanation, but what he really wanted to do was assure himself that she was alive.  
  
"Um, Yahiko, I'd like you to meet Aoshi. And the other man at the door is," Kaoru paused, "Mr. Himura."  
  
Kenshin gave Yahiko a polite bow. He was familiar with all the other occupants of the room.  
  
"S'up Kenshin," Sanosuke greeted.  
  
Kenshin turned his attention to Kaoru, "Your fiancé and I have been quite concerned."  
  
Yahiko frowned as he laid his hand on Kaoru's shoulder to tear her eyes away from that Aoshi figure. "What's he talking about Kaoru?"  
  
Kaoru wouldn't look at Yahiko, her gaze shifted from Aoshi to Kenshin to Aoshi. "Aoshi is my fiancé."  
  
"But, he doesn't even look like he would like people!" Yahiko complained, rising to his feet. He felt like he was ten years old again, defending his sister from all the jerks that tried to get her attention.  
  
Aoshi turned his deadly stare to the young man, whom visibly shrunk under it's intensity. Aoshi took precise steps towards him until he was standing directly in front of Kaoru, but looking at Yahiko. "I don't like people. But, I do love Kaoru."  
  
He then held out his hand for Kaoru to accept and completely ignored the other inhabitants of the room. Megumi and Sanosuke exchanged bewildered looks at his declaration, he seemed to be acting a little too much. Sano didn't fail to notice the dark light that seemed cross Kenshin's eyes.  
  
Kaoru accepted his hand and allowed him to help hoist her to her feet. She was feeling remarkably embarrassed, like a child caught disobeying her parents. She tore her gaze away from Aoshi to look at everyone apologetically. "If you'll excuse me."  
  
"Of course, Kaoru-chan," Soujiro answered for them all, having found the power of speech. It was as if the moment Aoshi and Kenshin had stepped into the room, all the air had been vacuumed out, leaving everyone speechless and at their wits' end.  
  
Kaoru was afraid that Aoshi wanted to hit her! He looked completely natural and yet, the look in his eyes betrayed his intense anger. She was surprised when all he did was lightly pull her by the elbow after him.  
  
She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room boring into them as they left. She wanted to turn around and wave goodbye, especially to Yahiko. But, she also didn't want to anger Aoshi anymore. She ventured a look at her watch. It was four thirty seven in the morning.  
  
The pair walked in silence, Aoshi leading the way towards their room on the third floor on another wing of the castle. When they reached the elevator, Kaoru crumbled, she never was good at the quiet game.  
  
"I'm sorry Aoshi, but it was Yahiko and,"  
  
Aoshi put his free hand up to cover her mouth. He glanced up at the top of the elevator as if looking for bugs. He didn't speak, he merely shook his head no.  
  
Effectively silenced, Kaoru followed behind him like an obedient puppy. He turned the lock to their room and then opened the door and locked it behind them. He released Kaoru as he doubled checked the windows and then the closet and bathroom.  
  
After his impromptu search he turned back to Kaoru. His worry plainly displayed across his features. There was no anger in his eyes now, only concern. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"  
  
Kaoru couldn't meet his intense gaze and looked down at her feet. She was surprised to discover that she was bare foot. You would think that's something you would notice as you walked along a stone floor. But then again, she was dressed for bed when Yahiko had dropped by earlier.  
  
Aoshi hooked his finger around her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. "Kaoru, I specifically told you not to leave this room. There is a murderer on the loose, you are celebrity amongst the guests here, you left the window wide open, your cell phone in the middle of the floor and left the door unlocked. You could have at least left a note." He sounded tired now, and no longer angry.  
  
Kaoru could feel her eyes watering but she wouldn't cry. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I was just so excited to see Yahiko."  
  
Aoshi removed his hand from her and turned his back to her. She thought she had angered him with her answer but she was relieved to discover he was merely getting ready for bed.  
  
He tossed his shirt across the room and kicked off his shoes. He kept his slacks on as he turned back towards her. "I understand, just try to think things through more carefully. I understand how exciting it is to be reunited with someone you thought was dead."  
  
"I won't do it again," Kaoru offered, with a hopeful edge to her words. She felt absolutely miserable for causing Aoshi to search for her for God knows how long.  
  
"No you won't," Aoshi agreed as he moved in on her and then wrapped her into his arms. It was then that Kaoru could feel the tenseness of his muscles. They all seemed to relax the moment he held her in his arms. "I was afraid that you would have been next. I would die if something happened to you." He confessed his dream from the night before haunting him.  
  
Kaoru pulled out of his arms to look him in the eye. "Oh, Aoshi, I'm sorry, I really didn't think about what you would think. I promise to be more careful."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be sure you are. I'm not letting you out of my sight. You better get used to having me serve as your shadow." Aoshi told her, his voice soft and tired and yet still full of determination and strength.  
  
"Well, you'll be glad to know I didn't totally waste my time. Misao mentioned that she caught Enishi locking up a monitoring room on the second day here. The evidence should all be on tape, unfortunately, its locked until the end of the fourteenth day under a failsafe system that can not be overridden." Kaoru explained as she left Aoshi's side and climbed into her side of the bed. She was already wearing her pajamas when Yahiko had come by earlier.  
  
Aoshi stood silently, like a stone guardian for a while before responding. "Yukishiro, Himura, and I had a fruitless conversation. Nothing substantial came from our meeting. Enishi didn't mention the monitoring system."  
  
Kaoru stifled a large yawn as she looked up at Aoshi. "I doubt if it matters right now. It's almost dawn. I'm going to sleep. What do you want to do tomorrow?"  
  
Aoshi didn't answer for a while. Silently he pulled back the covers and climbed in behind Kaoru. He closed his eyes and willed whatever was left of the tension from earlier to abandon his muscles. "We will do nothing tomorrow."  
  
"Well I know there isn't much we can do, but we must be doing something," Kaoru argued, frowning in the dark.  
  
Two warm arms snaked around her waist, drawing her into a firm chest. A chin rested upon her shoulder. Soft, silky ebon colored hair, not her own, fell onto her cheek. "We will do absolutely nothing. If the other guests don't bother showing themselves I'm perfectly content to sit in here all day like a hermit."  
  
"But, you can't be serious." Kaoru argued. She had a perpetual case of boredom and it would be torture to be stuck in a room all day.  
  
Aoshi hugged her to him in response. "I have never been more serious in my life. I think you are a target and have been drawing too much unwanted attention to yourself. Tomorrow we do nothing. Perhaps the next day we will start investigating."  
  
"Doesn't sound like the kind of detective Hajime would assign to such a case. Besides, it's only one murder. The first was the actor. It could have been an isolated case or the start of a spree, we need more information" Kaoru grumbled, clearly not too happy with Shinomori's plans.  
  
Aoshi kissed the side of her neck, startling Kaoru. "Shut up and go to sleep. I know plenty of pressure points to make you."  
  
"Fine, but I don't get why you're acting like this. We're not really engaged, who are you trying to impress with this act?"  
  
"This is the safest place you can be. With you tucked within the security of my arms I'm confident nothing bad can befall you. Now stop arguing and go to sleep or I'll make you stay in this room for two days." Aoshi replied before relaxing completely, but his arm muscles never slacking.  
  
Kaoru was frustrated. Why was he acting so possessive? Was something said in his meeting that made him this way? She did have to admit she was at fault for not informing him of her destination.  
  
Regretfully, she understood his behavior. He was just doing his job. She sighed, relaxing against his solid build in the process. Should she feel used or secure? She wasn't sure and frankly it really didn't matter as sleep claimed her.  
  
It was regrettable that the two slept so soundly in one another's warmth that they never heard the screams that came later that morning. Nor did they hear the terrified footsteps racing down their hallway later that evening.  
  
On the bright side, they were both well rested which was good because it would probably be a long time before they would get any refreshing sleep after that.  
  
**TBC**


	9. Thirty Six Hours Later

**Chapter 9: Thirty Six Hours Later**  
  
Kaoru glared at the stoic man before her. 'How could he just sit there?' She cleared her throat, earning the attention of the dashing detective.  
  
Aoshi calmly drank his herbal tea. "Something on your mind Kamiya?" Aoshi inquired, knowing full well that she was growing anxious at being confined to their room. They had not stepped out of their chambers for the past thirty-six hours. Granted, those hours could have been better spent.  
  
He stretched his sore back, he had taken to the couch and allowed Kaoru the comfort of the canopied bed. He could feel himself growing too attached to her and sought to keep a distance, but he also didn't want her out of his sight. It presented a confusing situation, one of which he couldn't think of how to solve without locking her into their room.  
  
Kaoru sputtered before compiling her jumbled thoughts. "Something on my mind!" She shouted angrily as her hands fisted upon her hips in her ire. "You can bet your socks something is on my mind!"  
  
An ebon brow rose at that declaration and he couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Bet your socks?" He choked out as he fought to keep from spilling his hot tea.  
  
"You can't keep me locked in here! We've got stuff to do! Things are happening and it's up to us to solve them!" She declared, trying to stress her point as she walked up to his sitting position on the couch and took his tea right from his hand as he was calmly raising it back to his lips.  
  
He smirked at her obvious aggravation. "I most certainly _can_ keep you locked in here. After you went wandering about the night before what did you expect me to do? I don't want to have to follow you around like some lap dog so you're going to have to settle for this."  
  
"I don't need your protection," Kaoru whispered as she set the cup of tea on the small table near the bed. She was trying to calm herself. She knew that Aoshi was only trying to prevent harm from happening to her. He was doing Hajime a favor.  
  
Aoshi watched her carefully and let a few silent moments pass before speaking. "Kaoru," he spoke, but she failed to look at him. "Kaoru," he repeated. She continued to look away.  
  
The detective stood behind her and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist as he pulled her against his solid form. He bent his chin down to rest it upon her head comfortably. Her rigid form relaxed in his embrace.  
  
"Kaoru, I know you are strong. However, my instincts tell me something about this place means to do us both harm and my instincts have never been wrong." He closed his eyes and tried to keep the possessive feeling raging within him under control. His instincts were telling him that, but he also had been so afraid when he couldn't find her the other night.  
  
Aoshi Shinomori was not one to be afraid, and he didn't want to go through that experience ever again. He wasn't sure when she had become more than a favor to Saito for him. It had to be something related with the odd dreams he was having.  
  
"I don't want to sit back when I could do something worth while." Kaoru replied softly.  
  
"Why don't you rest? You haven't slept much." Aoshi suggested as he allowed Kaoru to move out of his arms. She kept her head down, hiding the blush staining her cheeks.  
  
"That's probably a good idea," Kaoru agreed reluctantly as she pulled back her covers and climbed into bed. Truth be told, she was afraid to sleep. She just knew that as soon as she fell into a deep slumber that her dreams would haunt her.  
  
She knew that Battousai had struck again.  
  
Aoshi watched as she settled into the thick comforter and moved to sit beside her on the large bed. Kaoru felt the mattress shift under his weight and moved over to make more room for him. "You should rest too," Kaoru told him sleepily, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.  
  
"Are you afraid of what you will see when you sleep?" Aoshi asked insightfully. As he observed that Kaoru was not falling sound asleep like she normally did. She didn't answer and he knew what her reply would be. "Don't worry, I'm here with you." He told her as he gathered the woman in his arms and pulled her to rest in the safety of his arms.  
  
She relaxed considerably. "You must think I'm such a baby," Kaoru replied embarrassed, not daring to open her eyes and see the strong man looking at her in annoyance. However, he was only looking at her with a soft expression.  
  
"I don't think you're a baby, just rest." Aoshi assured her. She let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding and was soon sleeping soundly. Aoshi felt a content smile grace his lips as he watched her angelic face relax peacefully. Her rosy lips fell apart slightly and his attention was riveted there.  
  
A flashback to the dream where she died in his arms came back to him full force. He wanted to feel those lips of hers molded to fit his own. The temptation was starting to overwhelm him and he didn't even realize that his mouth began to descent towards the target.  
  
Mere centimeter's from his goal he paused when the ringing of Kaoru's cell phone caught his attention. He pulled back, unsure whether to be relieved or annoyed as he reached for the phone on the nightstand.  
  
He glanced at the caller ID and a feeling of unfounded jealousy clenched at his heart.  
  
"Shinomori here," he greeted the man on the other end, a frown marring his sculptured features.  
  
######################  
  
Hajime Saito paced back and forth in his office. It had been nearly six days since he had heard from Kaoru. He wasn't even certain that she had arrived safely to Enishi's castle estate.  
  
The agony of not knowing had finally been too much of a strain on the wolf and the next thing he knew he was dialing a very familiar number. He could feel that he was holding his breath, anxiously awaiting to hear the voice he adored so much.  
  
However that was not the voice that greeted him. "Shinomori here," the man on the other end replied, his tone cool as ice.  
  
"Where is she?" Saito demanded, not one for small talk. If he had wanted to speak with Shinomori then he would have called him. He wanted to talk to his little raccoon, his Tanuki.  
  
There was a long pause before Aoshi answered. "She's asleep right now. She fears that Battousai will haunt her dreams."  
  
Saito pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, placing it between his thin lips. He took a long, soothing drag, before trusting himself to speak after feeling a knot in his stomach. His Kaoru had trusted Shinomori with her secret. "Has anything unusual occurred," he asked keeping his voice reserved.  
  
"There have already been unexplained murders. We are stuck here until the end of the fortnight. I have kept her in the room for the last thirty six hours. You didn't tell me what sort of trouble she liked to get herself into." Aoshi's grin could be felt over the phone.  
  
Saito dropped his cigarette to the floor and ground it out with his boot. "Yeah, well why else do you think I had you watch over my Tanuki." Saito barked out sharply. His tone made it very clear that he was quite unhappy that he was not the one with her.  
  
"My Saito, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were jealous." Aoshi commented dryly.  
  
Saito could feel his temper rise. He regretted now, more than ever, allowing Megumi to convince him in using Kaoru's former engagement ring as part of the act that she was in a relationship with Shinomori.  
  
"Just don't get any ideas Shinomori. Do not forget that she is MINE." Saito warned in deadly tones. "I want you to have her call me as soon as she wakes up."  
  
"Very well," Aoshi replied calmly.  
  
Saito ended the telephone call. Never before had he ever felt so angry and possessive. Kaoru was HIS! Saito slammed his hand against the wall and clunks of sheetrock fell under the impact.  
  
Decision made, Saito picked up his car keys. There was no need for him to remain at the office. Things had been slow for the past week anyway. The wolf had made his decision. He was about to travel to England and take back his Tanuki.  
  
The Battosai mystery be damned. Saito wasn't about to lose his woman to that Californian detective over a possible lead.  
  
######################  
  
Aoshi glared at the phone in his hand, willing it to melt. He set it aside and tightened his hold upon Kaoru. He hadn't liked the way that the wolf had sounded. If he didn't know any better, he's say that Saito would be on the next plane here.  
  
But he knew Saito better than that.  
  
The wolf would never risk losing a lead to the Battousai case for a bit of jealousy. Would he?  
  
Kaoru began to shift uneasily, making Aoshi forget his musings. "No, don't do it." Kaoru pleaded to some unseen entity.  
  
Aoshi held her close as she continued to thrash apart. Finally a scream ripped through her throat as she sat bolt upright in his arms. A pair of crimson tears had leaked from each of her eyes.  
  
"What is it Kaoru? What did you see?" Aoshi asked, locking gazes with a wide-eyed Kaoru as one of his hands brushed away the evidence of her bloody tear stained trail on her cheeks.  
  
"I saw a young woman that I didn't recognize, he killed her. Then, I saw Misao. He was chasing her." She trailed off.  
  
Aoshi shook her, "Come on Kaoru, stay with me. What happened to Misao?" He felt a need to protect Misao, something residual from his dream the other night.  
  
Kaoru blinked at him before answering. "Soujiro protected her. But, he hit them both. I don't think they are dead." She trailed off, looking past him at the tapestry on the wall behind his head.  
  
"How do you know they aren't dead?" Aoshi demanded, slightly impatient.  
  
"Because, he heard my pleading. He said my name and only knocked them with the blunt handle of his sword." She looked back at the man holding her. "I think they are unconscious."  
  
Aoshi stood, the thick blankets falling at his feet and had her stand alongside him. "That was foolish," he told her. She looked back at him confused so he decided to elaborate. "The Battousai now has witnesses to his crime."  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "No, if anything he probably put them into some sort of coma."  
  
That possibility hadn't crossed Aoshi's mind but he conceded the point. He looked at the phone briefly but decided there were more pressing matters than to pass on the obsessive message of an ex-lover to the woman he was feeling so protective.  
  
"Did someone call while I was asleep?" Kaoru suddenly asked as she pulled on her tennis shoes ignoring that her clothes were rumpled, ready to investigate the scene of the crime.  
  
Aoshi shook his head negatively as he slipped on his jeans and then pulled on his own running shoes. He reached behind the pillow and placed a gun between the waistline of his pants before extending his hand for Kaoru to accept.  
  
"Oh, but I thought I heard it ring," Kaoru replied unsure as she cast the silent phone a suspicious glance, wondering if it would deny that it rang.  
  
"Don't concern yourself with such things," Aoshi assured her as he guided her out of their room and locked the door behind them.  
  
######################  
  
Enishi looked down at the three bodies before him. One had been found dead and the latter two were both unconscious. The doctor, Megumi had been optimistic about Misao and Soujiro, but said they would not be waking up anytime soon.  
  
And when they did, it was doubtful that they would remember anything about their attack.  
  
The young lord ran his fingers through his cropped white hair nervously as he glanced over at his beloved sister anxiously. She didn't seem bothered in the least to discover that there was a murdering lunatic inside of his estate that they were locked within for two weeks!  
  
On the plus side, there were only eight days left before his unbreakable security measures would deactivate. He could only hope that no more 'accidents' occurred.  
  
He glanced over at the stairwell again. 'Why is Shinomori keeping Kamiya away?' He thought to himself. That young woman was the only thing that had been entertaining him. He was suspicious about their relationship.  
  
Tomoe had informed him that the ring that Kaoru bore was the exact same design that Hajime Saito had special made for her during their engagement. The coincidence was highly suspicious.  
  
A plate fell to the floor and shattered. Enishi turned an annoyed look towards the klutzy guest. The red haired man smiled apologetically as his violet eyes widened in embarrassment.  
  
"Oro?" Himura replied under his breath at his 'carelessness.' "My apologies Enishi, but I'm afraid I do not have the best coordination."  
  
"Obviously," Enishi snapped, his patience with the man thin if existent at all. He watched as the short statured but physically fit man began to bend over and pick up the pieces of shattered plate. He was deceptively small, Enishi noted.  
  
"Have you seen Kaoru?" Enishi asked the man.  
  
Kenshin shook his head and brought up his violet orbs to meet Enishi's cold, indifferent ones. "The last I saw Kaoru was when Aoshi and I found her with Sanosuke and the others the night before last. They have been in their room ever since."  
  
Enishi noted the angry undertones in Himura's voice at that little tid bit. Granted, he couldn't blame him for he felt the same anger. 


	10. Clarity

**Crimson Tears : Chapter 10**

**Clarity**

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo

Aoshi pulled the slip of a woman after him, firmly grasping her delicate wrist in his powerful clasp. The pair began to run at full speed, hoping that their fears were unfounded. Surely, Battousai had not struck again and surely he did not make victims of their acquaintances. The sooner they arrived at the scene, the sooner they would find reassurance of Misao and Soujiro's health.

It didn't take long before they ran into proof.

Rounding a sharp corner in the narrow passageways, Aoshi's six foot figure slammed into that of Sanosuke Sagara. Kaoru promptly lost her balance as Aoshi's grip on her hand sent her tumbling forward into the awaiting arms of an incredibly imposing figure that neither of the Americans had previously encountered.

After Kaoru's wrist slipped out of Aoshi's grasp he then used his free hands to catch hold of Sanosuke's shoulders as the boxer did likewise, thereby preventing a mutual embarrassing fall to the cold stone floor.

"I've been looking all over for you," Sano shouted to the couple as he removed his hand from Aoshi's shoulders when the blue eyed man glared at him in annoyance. Aoshi ignored him and possessively pulled Kaoru out of the strange man's hold and pulled her to his chest protectively with his arms securely locked around her waist and whispering quietly in her ear.

"Are you alright?" Aoshi inquired barely above a whisper as he looked the tall man up and down in barely concealed disdain. He was an imposing figure with long dark hair hanging near his waist and a long white coat that was the size of a whale.

Kaoru nodded, but when it became clear that Aoshi would not be satisfied until he heard a verbal answer she consented. "I'm fine," she reassured him as she studied the man whose arms she recently vacated. He was so familiar and yet she couldn't quite place him.

Sanosuke cleared his throat rather loudly, earning him Shinomori's attention. Sano smirked. "Sorry to interrupt you two love birds," the twin frowns served to direct him to his point. "I was looking for you. Misao and Soujiro were just found."

Kaoru's eyes grew wide and she exchanged concerned looks with Aoshi.

"They aren't dead," a deep cavernous voice boomed from the handsome stranger who was now sporting an incredibly arrogant look. "Those brats are too stubborn to die so they are just unconscious."

Aoshi turned his attention to this new guest whom he had not previously encountered. "And who are you?" He asked with as much politeness that he could muster. He could feel Kaoru's finger nails digging into his flesh from where she held onto his arms. There was something about this man that was affecting her. He too felt a sense of familiarity.

"I prefer to be called master, but I suppose you could call me Hiko," the man answered with a nod of greeting to the question. "And you are the icicle and the raccoon girl," he surmised, barely suppressing a smirk.

Aoshi felt his temper rise at the demeaning nick names and the severity of the situation was forgotten momentarily. However, the raccoon girl beat him to the punch as she slipped out of his arms and marched towards Hiko.

Kaoru raised a finger and began to poke the muscle bound giant in the chest from her imposing five feet nothing height. The scene would have been comical, but Aoshi Shinomori was not one prone to laughter.

"Listen here you big gorilla," Kaoru began. "If you are going to insult my fiancé and I with such childish names then you had better be prepared for our behavior to mirror such expectations!" She declared with a final and firm prod to the man's sternum.

Hiko raised a brow as the young woman's tactics and caught her hand after the last poke. "And yet you call me a gorilla, no wonder you and my stupid apprentice got along so well." Hiko trailed off towards the latter part of the comment and Kaoru was unsure if she heard him correctly. Hiko grinned arrogantly at her as he pulled the woman to his chest and gave her a quick hug, by resting one hand on the small of her back and the other under her butt, lifting her up higher.

He then released her and watched her face burn scarlet. The look of pure venom on Aoshi's face caused him to laugh again. He looked over at Aoshi. "Just wanted to see if you had any emotions icicle. I guess when it regards your _fiancé _you do." Hiko stressed the word, implying something akin to skepticism in his tone.

Sano's throat cleared yet again and he began to pop his knuckles. He roamed his chocolate orbs on the three others before speaking. "Oh, I see you are paying attention, _finally._" Sanosuke turned back around and gestured with his hand that they should follow. "We just found them and were hoping you could check out the scene."

The quartet's footsteps echoed down the stone corridor as a pair of dark eyes watched their departure. The young man felt a deep sense of longing as he watched them retreat into the room of the crime. How he wished there was something he could do to defeat the Battousai! He knew the identity of the cursed being, but he too was cursed. He was cursed to serve as witness to the acts of horror but be unable to do anything to make them cease.

It was a side effect of the curse. It was something the gypsy woman had not intended. But then again, he doubted if she had intended for Shinomori to willingly follow the others into the curse.

He clinched his fists at his sides. It was always the unaccounted element that was not factored into the equation that would prove folly. For this he was thankful and could only hope that this time around they would be capable of breaking the curse. The first time they had failed and would be doomed to repeat it in each following reincarnation.

But not this time.

Because this time, Shinomori, Hiko, and himself had also been reborn and introduced to the situation early. So many others from the original carnation were here as well. Yahiko watched as they vanished into the drawing room where Misao and Soujiro lay in catatonic states.

When Yahiko regained the memories of his past life he knew that he had to leave his beloved sister. He had been gifted with a sense of foresight but could not completely foretell the future. He was aware that only with his absence would Kaoru be led to Saito eventually.

Only with the aid of the wolf would she be able to defeat the madness of the all consuming Battousai. That was where things failed the previous time. She was not lead to Saito until the very end. Shinomori had happened upon the situation too late in the course and they all ended up perishing.

Yahiko made sure that would not be the case this round.

He and Hiko both would make certain that the curse would be broken this time. None of them deserved to be cursed. The best that Yahiko and Hiko could hope was for few casualties.

Sighing, Yahiko turned back into the shadows. He could do nothing. His part in all of the drama was over. He could serve as a mere spectator and root for the man and woman who practically raised him in Japan at the end of the age of the Samurai. He could only hope that some how they would be victorious over the evil that would haunt them eternally otherwise.

oooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo

Enishi watched as the doors opened, revealing four more individuals, of which only one held his interest. "Kaoru, come here," Enishi entreated as he ushered Kaoru to join him as he stood with his back resting against the bookshelf of the large drawing room where the crime took place.

Kaoru walked towards him cautiously, wary of the prone bodies of Misao and Soujiro and ever aware of Aoshi Shinomori's intense gaze upon her back. Enishi's turquoise eyes seemed to study her every movement until she reached him. He then smiled at her slyly before placing both hands upon her shoulder and leaning down to speak quietly into her ear.

"Kaoru, tell me what you know about the Battousai. I was not aware that it was his style to leave victims alive." Enishi began, he pulled back locked eyes with her awaiting her answer.

The feel of his powerful hands still on her shoulders unnerved the journalist but she kept her composure and met his gaze head on and spoke loud enough for all those in the room to hear. "It is not in the Battousai's habit to leave victims alive. It is highly unusual for him to leave behind any witness. It is my belief that perhaps they were not planned assassinations on his part and he does not kill randomly as some have surmised. Or it is possible that he wants to be caught."

"She's right," Kenshin agreed, coming out of the shadows he was recently standing within. He and Tomoe were both hidden from the presence of the new arrivals. Megumi looked up from Misao, whom she had placed a cold compress to her forehead for a moment and then looked back down to her patients.

"How long have you been here Himura?" Aoshi asked, keeping his voice calm and reserving his suspicions to only his mind and not arousing others to his belief.

Violet eyes flashed amber for a split second, not long enough to fully register the act. "I have been with Enishi discussing your whereabouts, Shinomori." Kenshin remarked fairly coldly before smiling innocently at him. "Good to see you Master Hiko," Kenshin gave a brief bow to the giant man whom merely nodded in response.

No one seemed to notice Kenshin's slip but Aoshi. His lips thinned as he looked over briefly to Kaoru to see if she too had noticed, but much to his dismay her attention was focused on Enishi.

"How long have they been in here?" Kaoru asked the white haired British lord. Enishi frowned slightly as he raked a hand through his unruly hair that had fallen over his eyes, obstructing his view of the young journalist.

"We only happened upon this scene a few minutes ago. Himura and I were in a nearby room and walked past this room and noticed a pair of feet. I ran into my sister and Megumi a few rooms away and now we are here." Enishi recounted.

"I see, so you saw no one leaving this room?" Aoshi demanded from his position as he leaned down over the bodies and examined their wounds. A blow to the back of the head for both was revealed. The wound was not enough to kill, but enough to cause a small coma.

Kaoru left Enishi's side and bent between Megumi and Aoshi to examine the bodies for herself. Megumi pointed out the location the blow took place. "Their pulse is strong and breathing normal, not labored in the least. But this slight bruising at the base of the skull is indicative of the blow they both sustained." Megumi locked serious brown eyes with Kaoru's sapphire. "Whomever did this was a professional. This could easily have killed them both were just a bit more pressure used."

Kaoru looked past the doctor towards Aoshi. "He didn't want to kill them," she stated.

Aoshi asked the question on everyone's mind. "Megumi, when will they awaken and will they remember who did this?"

Megumi shook her head. "I can't truly say. However, there is a very real possibility that they will not remember. It is common that recent memories would be lost. They may wake up later today, but with the professionalism and precision of these blows, I doubt if they will recall what happened."

Sanosuke sent his fist slamming into the wall at the proclamation, startling everyone in the room from their deep thoughts. "Fudge! There's a murdering psychopath who is picking and choosing who he knocks off and who is worthy enough to be placed in a coma. What the fudge are we supposed to do?"

The gravity of the very troubling questions was forgotten in light of the boxer's word choice. Soft laughter came from the woman in the wheel chair, further confusing all those in the room. Tomoe's dark eyes twinkled with rare amusement. "Did you just say fudge?"

Embarrassment clouded Sanosuke's face as he looked over at Megumi who was snickering at his expense. "Yeah, well," he scratched the back of his neck. "The Kitsune doesn't like my using foul language so I've been trying to improve."

As everyone laughed at the man's expense Kenshin smiled at him sympathetically. "It is an admirable goal Sano, that it is." Violet eyes offered a much welcomed understanding.

"Thanks Himura," Sano replied gratefully as the others stilled in their laughter and focused on the situation at hand.

Aoshi stood and offered his hand to help Kaoru to her feet. "There is nothing more we can do then. Megumi make certain that the two are well cared for. We shall take turns guarding their unprotected forms."

"What do you suggest the rest of us do during that time?" Hiko demanded, not one to be ordered around.

"Search for clues, find the Battousai," Aoshi answered simply.

Hiko grunted in response before leaving the room.

"Come on Kitsune, there really isn't anything else you can do for them. Let's go try to find out something to catch the murdering turd." Sanosuke ushered for Megumi to join him. She gave one final look towards her patients and then followed her rooster head outside.

"If you'd like Kaoru, I'll take the first watch with you. We can compare notes," Enishi offered, earning a frown from his sister and bitter glare from Aoshi. He ignored both warnings.

Kaoru bit her lip and looked first at Aoshi and then at Tomoe and finally at Kenshin who had retreated into the shadows once more. How was it that he was so easily forgotten. "Actually, I'd like to brainstorm with Aoshi right now." She began apologetically. "But later we could," she offered in amendment.

That brightened Enishi's mood and he smiled charmingly at her. "Very well, I shall hold you to that. Come dear sister," he moved behind her wheel chair and pushed her out of the room.

Kenshin stepped out of the shadows. "I'll be seeing you miss Kaoru, Aoshi." He then ducked out of the room and disappeared once more.

As soon as they were left alone, the pair shut the door behind them and looked down at the still forms of Misao and Soujiro. "Did Hiko seem familiar to you?" Kaoru asked Aoshi.

He shook his head. "Not especially, did he seem familiar to you?" He asked as he guided Kaoru towards a large reclining chair in the corner of the room. He sat down and pulled her into his lap while wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin upon her shoulder and closing his eyes wearily.

Kaoru relaxed against him, feeling reassurance in his presence. "They all seem so familiar. I know them, I know I do. I feel that I have met them all before. I felt that I had met you before as well. I had the same feeling with Hajime as well."

Aoshi stiffened slightly at the name of the wolf, a tinge of guilt about lying about the phone call creeping into his mind. "Whom all have you felt this familiarity with?" He prodded. He too felt that he was somehow linked to many of the characters in this drama.

Kaoru shrugged. "Almost everyone," she whispered. She thought she felt the gentle brush of Aoshi's lips against the base of her throat but was unsure. She was about to turn and ask if he had done such a thing but he tightened his hold on her, keeping her in place.

"Why don't you rest some, perhaps more answers will come in your dreams?" Aoshi suggested. He was unsure what led him to kiss her throat but was hoping that perhaps she wouldn't notice. He could not be getting attached to this woman. He was merely protecting her and the safest place for her to be was in his arms. That was the only reason he was holding her so possessively.

He would ignore the unexpected anger he felt when he thought of another touching her so casually or intimately.

"I'm worried about Kenshin," Kaoru confessed. "How did he know your last name?"

Aoshi sighed troubled at the question. It was the same question that was racing through his mind. "I am unsure, Kaoru. However, I believe he is definitely one that deserves to be investigated."

Kaoru nodded in agreement. "Yes, Kenshin, Enishi, and Hiko are at the top of my list of suspects. I'm sure that after I talk to Enishi later one on one that I will have more answers."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Aoshi protested, a sense of fear chilled his blood at the thought of Kaoru left alone in Enishi's presence.

"I already have been alone with Kenshin and I couldn't really tell with him. I think it would be best if you were to interrogate him while I do Enishi." Kaoru suggested. She didn't catch the flinch that shook Aoshi's frame as he pictured the word do and Enishi involving Kaoru. He didn't like that picture one bit.

"Fine," Aoshi consented.

oooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo

He paced back and forth listening to the ringing of her cell phone. Why wasn't she answering? He cursed when he received the error message once more. "Why didn't I make sure you set up your blasted voice mail Tanuki?"

Hajime Saito snapped shut his cell phone and angrily shoved it inside of his pants pocket. He glared once more at the idiotic British police officer that could offer him no help what so ever.

"Are you sure?" Saito asked impatiently as the worm squirmed in front of him.

"Yes sir, there is no way inside of Yukishiro manner once the gates have been locked and the castle sealed from the inside." The young, skinny rookie shook his head enthusiastically as he pushed up his wire rim glasses up his crooked nose. "I'm afraid there is no way in Captain Saito, it is simply impossible."

Hajime Saito glanced past the officer's head and noticed the 'No Smoking' sign. Deliberately, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a flick of his lighter. He raised the cigarette to his thin lips and inhaled deeply before blowing a ring of smoke out towards the officer's face.

"Nothing is impossible moron. I suggest you get me to that castle and I'll find a way in without your idiotic help." Saito threw the cigarette to his feet and stomped out the flame. He watched the rookie like an eagle circling his prey.

The young man nodded his head. "Yes, of course sir. I'll see to it that you are taken to the castle, but…"he trailed off nervously, unsure of how to speak to the American.

Saito raised a brow at the fool. "There is no buts, just get me there." He turned on his heel and began to leave the station, intent on waiting for a vehicle to pick him up. Before leaving the room he turned at the door. "I don't need any of your pathetic excuses for backup. Just get me there. I'll be waiting by the road for my transportation."

Young officer Collins watched as the man dubbed the wolf left him alone. "No wonder they call him the wolf. No one he deems his prey has a chance." Officer Collins then lifted the receiver to arrange transportation for Saito. He had no intentions on being a name on that man's 'To Kill' list.

ooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo

He walked to her room. It still smelled like her. The scent of Jasmine helped to calm the insanity he knew was brewing just under his surface. However, the ringing sound coming from the nightstand was upsetting his recently found tranquility and would have to be vanquished.

Battousai lifted the cell phone and looked at the name on the caller identification. His forehead creased in anger as he recognized a most hated name. The tossing of the cell phone outside of the balcony window was completely justified and not in the least over dramatic.

He sat upon the large bed and leaned against the softness of the mattress. He should have been the one to share a room with Kaoru, not Shinomori. He did not belong in the equation. He would only serve to mess things up further.

Battousai was fully aware of the curse. He could do nothing to stop himself from carrying out the assassinations. The only being that helped him retain even a little bit of his identity was his wife. With a great deal of sadness he knew that she didn't even realize that she was his wife.

"She is mine," Battousai declared, amber eyes blazing possessively as he began to sharpen the blade of his Samurai sword.

The sharpening stone ran smoothly along the deadly sharp edge.

Once satisfied that the Japanese steel could not possibly be sharper he raised it above his head and slammed it into the mattress in the location he was sure Shinomori had been sleeping. The scent of Jasmine was too great on the other side, but he was still unhappy.

The feather mattress released white feathers under the force of his blade. That would not be nearly as satisfying as when he took out Shinomori. He had no business in this story. In the back of his mind he could feel his humanity struggling to sway his thoughts to stay his temper. He would ignore that voice. He could ignore that voice easily.

The only times he couldn't ignore it is when her voice was inside his head or her tears began to flow. Her tears were stained with the blood from his murdering hands.

It had happened a few times.

When he was drawing his blade to take out the next victim she would be in his head trying to deter him of the deed. She had been successful quite a few times. But she was not always there and he could not beat the curse without her. Without her voice constantly helping him to fight the demon that was now inside of him he could not ignore the calling of the gypsy curse.

"I'm sorry Kaoru. You know this is not what I want to do, but there is nothing that can stop me save my blood on your hands." He left the room, careful to shut the door behind him.

He needed to check on the two unconscious individuals. It was important that they remain catatonic, else he would have to kill them regardless that they were not part of the original curse.

"What are you doing man?" Sanosuke asked as he caught him leaving Aoshi and Kaoru's bed room. "Whose room were you coming out of?" He asked suspicious.

He smiled at him, but it wasn't a very comforting smile as he unsheathed his anachronous sword.

Sanosuke's eyes grew wide in confusion as the dull side of the blade crashed against his throat and sent him flying into the wall. He tried to yell out, but discovered his voice lost. The blow was meant to keep him from attracting attention.

The Battousai stood over Sano's slumped figure and shook his head as the man tried in vane to speak. "It is useless." He smiled once more in false serenity. "Don't worry; I'm not supposed to kill you."

He raised his sword once again, "But that doesn't mean that I can let you interfere." He then brought down his blade, but fortunately for Sanosuke Sagara it was not a fatal blow, but rendered him as useless as Misao and Soujiro.

The Battousai looked at his sword forlornly; it seemed misplaced to fight with a sword and to discover it free of any blood shed. He sheathed the blade and then began to drag the boxer out of the hall way into a closet in the hallway. No need to invite more caution.

**TBC**


	11. Weary

**Crimson Tears**

**Chapter 11: Weary**

He was so fatigued. The mere idea of opening his eyes weighed heavily on his taxed body. He wasn't tired physically, but mentally he couldn't recall a time of more exhaustion.

His arms tightened instinctually around the warm body resting so comfortably in his lap. He would ignore the way her hips were rubbing against his inner thighs and groin. He would control himself with the admirable discipline he prized himself upon.

This slip of a woman was not going to cause his intense control to crack.

Kaoru's face nuzzled against the center of his chest and surprised him with her next action. He felt her soft, pedal like lips gently caress him through his thin button up shirt right over his heart.

Inquisitive sapphire eyes looked up into his arctic pools. Aoshi raised an ebon brow at her antics. He would not give her the satisfaction of knowing how her actions chilled him to the core. Never had anyone taken such liberties on his person and never would he have allowed it previously.

"Did you just kiss my shirt?" Aoshi teased softly, before casting a quick glance towards their silent patients. He returned his gaze back to the young woman who wasn't so much as blushing, but was looking at him with a look of great intensity. "Yes?"

Kaoru shifted out of his lap and moved to sit beside him, keeping her legs curled against him, but no longer causing reactions he'd like to keep to himself by creating the distance. "Will you tell me now how you became so scarred?"

Aoshi kept his face akin to that of a marble statue, revealing none of the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. Kaoru looked away from him during his silence. "You don't have to tell me, I understand." Kaoru told him quietly.

His shoulders slackened and Aoshi rested his head against the back of his chair, looking at the high ceiling before answering. "When I was a teenager, I had four great friends. We did everything together and were the best of friends. I lost them in a great tragedy and have ever since then felt guilty about having lived while they all died."

Kaoru turned back to him and searched his face as he grew silent and reflective. She raised her hand to his cheek and felt the stubble that had begun to grow. It had been a day or two since he had last shaved and the shadow seemed foreign to his over all perfection. She forced him to look down at her. "Never feel guilty for being a survivor."

Aoshi offered a chilling smile as he raised his hand to rest on the back of hers that still rested against his cheek. "This advice is coming from the woman who feels guilty herself for being just that."

She had the decency to blush at that comment. "I suppose this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Do continue with your story though." Kaoru encouraged.

"I lost my drive to live. I became involved with some shady activities. I think I wanted to die," Aoshi released her hand and starred vacantly at the prone figures of Misao and Soujiro. Kaoru's hand remained firmly in place upon his cheek and he found himself leaning into it subconsciously.

"Saito was in California at the time, this was maybe eleven years ago. We ran into one another on a street in the late night hours. I challenged him to a fight, as I challenged anyone and everyone who I thought might be capable of rivaling me in fighting skills." Aoshi raised his hands to unbutton the top few buttons of his shirt and reveal his scarred chest. "These are my souvenirs from those encounters."

Kaoru gasped at the sight of the raised flesh, so stark white against the tan of his skin. Her hand fell from his unshaven face to rest upon the broad expanse of his chest, absently fingering his old wounds.

"I won't say that Saito beat me physically, but mentally he whipped me soundly. He made me realize the folly of my chosen path and gave me an opportunity. He knew a couple of guys that would be willing to give me a chance." Aoshi drew his gaze from their silent companions and watched as Kaoru traced the unnatural patterns upon his chest.

She sensed his silence and looked up at him. "So, I got involved with the force and I've been working ever since." Aoshi smiled ruefully. "I must admit, it is much more rewarding saving lives and stopping needless deaths than it is bleeding everywhere."

Kaoru drew her hand away from his bared skin and readjusted her position once more. She brought her legs onto either side of him and straddled his waist. By his sharp intake of air she realized what she was doing to him but that didn't matter at the moment. She felt safe with him and wanted him to feel the same overwhelming security.

She wrapped both arms around his neck loosely and met his eyes as they closed partly and a shiver seemed to travel down his frame. Kaoru drew closer and his eyes closed all the way, he was expecting her to kiss him, she would, but not how he expected.

Aoshi's eyes snapped open in annoyance when instead of kissing his lips the vixen began to kiss the scattered array of scars along his exposed chest. It might have felt good, but Aoshi Shinomori was not one to fall prey to a woman's antics. "What are you doing?" He asked softly, forcing himself to ignore the rush of blood traveling south.

Kaoru paused and looked up at him, a blush staining her cheeks as if she just now realized what she was doing. "I---uh---,"she stammered before looking away in embarrassment.

He reached for her chin and forced her to look at him once again. He offered a small smile to ease her. "Kissing it won't make them go away."

A seductive grin lit up her features as she kissed him quickly upon his lips, it was just a brief brush of her lips to his, but the result was electrifying. She drew back. "A kiss may not make the pain go away, but perhaps it would help you to forget."

Aoshi was about to argue that what she gave him hardly constituted as a kiss, but a moan seemed to come from Soujiro reminding him of their audience. He locked his arms tightly around Kaoru's back and pulled her flush against him and rubbed his rough cheek against her smooth one.

His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, "I will need a much larger dose of kisses to make me forget the pain I've been through."

oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo

He stalked her down the hallway. He stalked as a hungry tiger approaches the grazing gazelle. The gazelle was completely clueless that this patch of grass would be her last. This was her last meal. These were her final moments.

It was almost too easy this one.

He never enjoyed this part of his existence, but as he discovered years ago, it was pointless to resist. It only resulted in great headaches for him. Besides, happily, he would forget all his sins as soon as he left the scene of the crime.

That was the best part of the curse.

He would walk around innocently during the day, ninety percent of his waking hours. Only moments before his next kill would he remember with startling clarity. But, by then it was too late. The man he was ninety percent of the time no longer existed.

Only the Battousai existed at these moments.

Only the hunter and his prey existed.

A flash of his previous life, or perhaps the life before that came to mind. He could remember this one rushing in front of his blade and piercing her heart unintentionally. He remembered learning the truth later on that she had originally sought him in vengeance and was a spy.

Something about him caused her to fall in love with him. He was but a teenaged boy, but he had foolishly believed she loved him. She grew to love him, or at least pity him. Perhaps it was their mutual sorrow that drew them together and hope is what drew them apart.

Her death those years ago had meant the death of the Battousai.

Funny that now she would be reduced to merely another casualty to the Battousai's ever growing list of victims.

He walked in the shadows. She paused outside her door. He had heard her brother leave her reluctantly minutes before. Now she in her wheel chair, waited outside her room and was unlocking the door.

He shook his head, red hair flying from side to side in the process as he stalked closer to his prey. There was no need to bother unlocking the door when she was only to die outside in the hallway.

Only this time, her death would not be the emotional event that shattered the blood lust of the Battousai. No, this time she would merely serve as fodder.

His blade drew from the scarlet sheath that housed it. The metal slid out soundlessly, the sharp blade hungered to be feed the helpless blood of the gazelle.

Like a deer in headlights she turned to face him at the last moments of her life. Her dark, sorrowful eyes grew wide in fear but then a look of acceptance seemed to flash through them.

The Battousai almost paused to reflect upon the odd emotions she had sent. Fear, yes, he understood that. But, sorrowful acceptance was not something he encountered.

No matter.

Her end was swift and precise. His blade sliced between her fourth and fifth rib into her left ventricle. That chamber of her heart was utterly destroyed and he watched fascinated as the blood poured uselessly out of the gaping wound and stained the white of her gown.

A quick flick of his wrist and the blood upon his blade was sent flying towards the wall and splattering a grotesque design for others to see later. He could feel the prickle of tears behind his eye lids that often accompanied his murders, but as usual, no tears came.

It was as if someone else would cry for him. Someone else would bear his guilty burden for as he walked away and returned to the shadows the memory of his crime was already vanishing as it always did.

oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo

Kenshin stumbled into his room completely zonked. It had been a long day and he couldn't even remember why he was awake at the moment. He wondered who could have knocked out both Soujiro and Misao so expertly.

It had to have been someone of great power, finesse, and skill.

A wry smile crossed his lips. He'd like to meet someone of that caliber.

He fell onto his bed and closed his eyes as he sighed deeply, trying to relieve himself of the stress he felt. He was overly angry about Kaoru's relationship with Aoshi. He knew he had no reason to feel jealous over their being engaged.

However, no matter how much his mind kept stating this, his heart refused to believe it.

"Kaoru, he's all wrong for you," Kenshin informed his ceiling before he hid his amethyst orbs behind his eyelids and allowed the dreams of his unconscious mind to claim possession of him.

_Kenshin__ questioned his sanity once more. Why had he agreed to leave his pregnant wife in search of Saito's estranged wife. Tokio probably had a very good reason to leave the wolf._

_Heck, if Kenshin was married to the guy he surely would have left him. _

_The ropes holding him to the post were burning into his wrists and biting into his flesh. He could feel the blood pouring from where they sliced him. He could also feel his warm blood pouring slowly from the other various wounds he had sustained._

_What did Tokio have against him anyway? This was a domestic dispute, he shouldn't have been involved in such a manner._

_Why did he agree to come here again?_

_"Tokio, please, you should really talk to your husband about this," Kenshin tried to persuade her, ignoring the dizzy feeling he was suffering from his blood loss._

_Tokio__ laughed maniacally at him, sending her dark hair in a tumbling wave over her shoulder. Her eyes seemed black and endless as she sat in front of him and looked him in the face. "You, Battousai, murderer of countless, have no reason to speak. Perhaps I should cut out your tongue as well."_

_Kenshin__ quickly shut his lips tightly. He could survive this bloodloss assuming that Kaoru instinctually knew to come and find him. He didn't doubt that she would, but he would most certainly need his tongue to properly greet his wife._

_Tokio__ smiled sinisterly at his silence. "Smart move, Battousai. This really isn't about Hajime. This is about your countless murders that destroyed my tribe, your whore of a wife that stole my husband, and my husband with no honor that laid his seed in her horrible womb."_

_In spite of himself, Kenshin's jaw dropped open in shock at her words. "What are you talking about? I admit, as Battousai I had done horrible things, but I've dedicated my life to making up for those atrocities. I don't really care what you have to say about Saito, except when it involves MY wife."_

_Kenshin's__ eyes began to turn amber as each word passed through his lips. "Never speak ill of my wife. She is an innocent and the only man who has ever touched her is me, her husband. It is my child that grows in her womb." Kenshin began to pull on the ropes in his anger, they frayed at his force. _

_Tokio__ began to laugh at him once more and stood away from him. "You can not break those bonds, they have been blessed by the witch of my tribe and soaked in the blood of some of those whom you have stained." She smiled at him maliciously. "The gypsies have desired this day for nearly twelve years now. It is simply convenient that I am able to exact my own revenge against my husband and your whore."_

_An animalistic growl released from Kenshin's throat and Tokio was suddenly afraid. But the movement of the tent flaps attracted her attention. Saito had an arm loosely around Kaoru's shoulder, steadying her as they entered._

_Tokio__ sneered at the vision. From behind her back, Tokio pulled out two daggers and threw them at Kaoru who upon seeing Kenshin pulled away from Saito to run to him. One of the blades grazed her ribs while the other became embedded in her abdomen. _

_In shock, Kaoru began to fall to her knees, but Saito caught her in his arms and eased her to the ground. He frowned at the dagger, but knew it would be better to leave it in place than to move it. He noticed Battousai slouched against a wooden pole and struggling to free himself of some bonds._

_Tokio__ smiled at him with a wicked gleam to her eye. "Hello husband," she greeted._

_Saito's sword was drawn in an instant. "Evil must be slain," he muttered quietly to himself. _

_Tokio__ leapt out of his path and laughed. "You shouldn't have fallen in love with Battousai's whore," Tokio told him. Saito frowned at her, anger clearly defining his features. "I curse you, I curse you all."_

_Saito rushed at her and attacked with his favorite move and cleanly sliced into his wife under her ribcage, and destroying several organs. He pulled his blade out brutally, "Battousai you are cursed for all your murders. Over and over you shall kill all those whom you murdered this life time. All whom you are responsible for their deaths, not necessarily by your hands but also those who died slowly after the death of their loved ones." She smiled at Saito as blood began to trickle down from the corners of her lips._

_"The three of you shall be cursed with this reality. You shall remain cursed until the day that whore Kaoru breaks your heart Hajime. Until the day she kills her beloved Battousai with her own hands. Only then would peace be found." Tokio laughed again before she slumped to the ground in eternal darkness._

_Hajime Saito looked at the still form of his wife in shock. _

_Kenshin__ fought to remain conscious as the stab wounds to his kidneys began to take their toll upon him. He tried to call out unsuccessfully as Tokio's mother, the witch of the gypsies leapt out of the shadows and stabbed Saito in the back, piercing his lung. His sword was dropped under the assault as he tried to face his attacker only to be stabbed again, in the same collapsing lung._

_He would have been stabbed a third time were it not for Kaoru._

_Kenshin__ watched in horror as she pulled the dagger from her own flesh and threw it fatally at the old woman killing her._

_Kaoru crawled towards Kenshin and collapsed. He put his arms around her and drew her close. Their blood mingled as their source of life dripped steadily upon the dirt floor of the gypsy tent of Saito's crazed wife._

_Moments later, Aoshi Shinomori entered the tent with Misao hot on his trail. Through his tears, Kenshin made a final request of his former enemy turned ally._

Kenshin's eyes snapped open at the end of his vivid nightmare. He shook his head trying to clear his head of the images that had just haunted him. It was too vivid. But, it seemed so real.

He flipped over onto his stomach and tried to bury his face in his pillow and forget the visions. It did no good. He could still feel Kaoru in his arms, dying as surely as he was dying and as surely as their son was dying inside of her.

He sat up in bed as he recalled Shinomori also being present in his dream. "What exactly did I make him promise?" Kenshin asked himself before he threw off his covers. He needed to talk with both Kaoru and Aoshi and see if any of his dream sounded familiar to them. Kenshin shook his head.

What was he thinking?

It was only a dream.

**TBC**


	12. Tension

**Crimson Tears**

**Chapter 12: Tension**

Kaoru felt guilty. She was in the room with helpless victims of a brutal attack and was about to make out with Aoshi Shinomori, a man she had only known for a few days time. She knew that she shouldn't be thinking about Hajime Saito at a time like this, but it was unavoidable.

No matter how much her brain told her things with that man were through, it still seemed too soon to be moving on to someone new. Things with Aoshi seemed so complicated. With the murders and attacks taking place, Kaoru knew that she shouldn't allow herself to become head-over-heels for a guy, even if that guy was Aoshi Shinomori.

However, she stopped feeling guilty as she allowed sleep to claim her as she remained sitting beside the man she shouldn't be growing close to. Visions of the past sought her in her dreams.

Aoshi shifted his position. Kaoru was getting heavy in his arms. She had fallen asleep with her head resting upon his shoulder so he decided if he was to allow her to sleep in the chair with him he might as well hold her. Her sleeping form was resting comfortably in the nook of his arm after he sat her upon his lap and began to gently rock.

His icy eyes were focused on the nearly catatonic forms of Soujiro and Misao. He was curious where Himura was. The red haired man should have returned by now to take on the next guard duty. Plus, a wicked smile crossed Shinomori's lips, he wouldn't mind giving the other man a visual to show exactly to whom Kaoru belonged.

His long tapered fingers brushed through the dark hair that was spilling over his chest from his burden. Concerns about Saito kept coming foremost to his mind. His thoughts were disturbed however, not by a presence approaching the door, but from the shifting body in his lap.

Sapphire orbs opened wide and stared into his icy ones with a look he couldn't quite identify. "What is wrong?" Aoshi asked softly, hand pausing mid-stroke through Kaoru's lustrous dark hair.

Kaoru lifted her hand to rest upon his chest, over his heart that was beginning to pound against his rib cage. "You did it, didn't you?" Kaoru asked with her eyes slightly unfocused, seeming to see past him somehow even when she was looking directly at him.

"Did what?" Aoshi demanded, voice slightly clipped with impatience. There were enough mysteries without her adding any vagueness. He was confused by the few crystalline tears leaking from her eyes. Forgetting his annoyance he gently brushed those pesky tears aside. "Did what?" He asked again with tenderness this time.

"We knew each other before," Kaoru whispered still with the far-away look to her gaze. "All of us we knew each other before." She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, vision clear. "All of us we knew each other and we all died and were cursed. You followed me in death didn't you?"

Half-forgotten memories of various dreams came flooding to Aoshi's conscious. His breathing quickened. He knew without a doubt that what she spoke of was the truth. He shifted, suddenly uncomfortably hot with the woman held so close in his arms. "I don't break my promises," he answered after an immeasurable silence.

Kaoru smiled softly at him and drew her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her. Aoshi's arms tightened around her and their lips met in a kiss full of longing, a century in the making.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO**

Enishi kneeled stooped over the scene. His shirt was soaked in her blood that no longer pumped through those useless veins that once contained the flowing life. He took off his glasses as he wiped away the tears that fell from his turquoise eyes.

Everything was pointless now. This whole ordeal was a mistake. The murders should have been hint enough to end the whole mess. Surely there was a way to bypass the system, he didn't know how, but he should have found a way to end the madness.

Enishi's heart was shattered as his sister lay dead in his arms. This whole disaster was for her. He wanted her to find resolution about the attempt on her life so long ago. The mysteries were to be solved, not her life extinguished. He may never discover the identity of the Battousai but he would surely find the murderer of his sister and also he would find Akira. He would die too.

Enishi would make sure that both guilty parties suffered greatly for the pain his dear sister suffered.

He didn't notice the approach of another person. He ignored the gentle tap upon his shoulder. He couldn't be bothered at the moment.

"Enishi?" Kaoru called softly as she knelt beside the distraught young man. Aoshi had sent her out to find Sanosuke for the next shift. Megumi had come to the room they guarded asking if Sano had come yet. They waited for twenty minutes before deciding they needed to search for the boxer.

Megumi stared with a look of pain and regret in her eyes. She wanted to examine the body of Tomoe in Enishi's arms, but it was obvious by the pallor of color that the young woman was long since dead and beyond all hope now. As a medical professional she knew there was nothing she could do but try to calm the survivor.

She knelt down alongside Kaoru and gently eased Tomoe's body out of Enishi's arms as he turned to hold Kaoru to him. She noticed with calm brown eyes that the blood stains upon his formerly crisp white shirt had transferred to Kaoru's pale yellow one.

Megumi felt for Tomoe's pulse and knowing it was non-existent was still disheartened. Her skin was cool to the touch not cold, implying she had been dead for at least two or three hours. Rigor mortis had not really set in yet.

Kaoru allowed Enishi to hold her. His face was buried against her neck, tears cooling her flesh, so recently heated from her time spent with Aoshi. She let herself be clung to like a lifeline. There was nothing she could do but hold the man. It was heart breaking to see such a strong man reduced to a distraught little boy.

Megumi shook her head in the negative when Kaoru's eyes sought hers for the unspoken question. "Enishi, do you know who did this?" Megumi asked calmly. She tried to ignore the fear for Sanosuke's safety in light of this evidence. What kind of monster would destroy such a helpless woman?

Enishi's arms tightened around Kaoru, crushing her almost painfully against him as he turned to regard Megumi. He glared at her coldly. "Would I be crying like some pathetic child if I knew who did this?"

He turned his head back into Kaoru's hair and breathed deeply, seeking to sooth his tumultuous emotions. His mouth found her ear where he whispered his request. "You better damn well figure out who the Battousai is, or else I will kill everyone in this building, myself included. My sister must be avenged."

Kaoru shivered involuntarily at the eerie request. She knew he was not kidding. He would kill everyone in order to insure his sister's murderer paid.

Aoshi cleared his throat and pulled Kaoru away from Enishi. He recognized the mad look in the rich lord's eyes. "I don't think I will allow you to become a mass-murderer yourself Yukishiro. Tomoe wouldn't have wanted that," Aoshi replied in his soft voice that commanded authority. He frowned internally at the blood that now coated Kaoru's pale yellow shirt and tried to ignore the burning rage he felt at seeing Enishi holding her so close to him.

Enishi rose, hands shaking at his side in anger and rage. "I will not tolerate these murders in my home. My sister, my SISTER, lies dead at our feet! What would you have me do?" His pale eyes flashed with violence and a madness that lurked beneath waiting for the opportunity to arise.

"I will find the Battousai," Aoshi vowed.

"We'll all go," Kaoru interjected. She didn't like the look Aoshi had now. It was the look of a lone hunter. She had seen that look too many times with Hajime Saito. That look had nearly gotten him killed, though he would never admit it.

Aoshi was about to protest but thought better of it. No one needed to look over Misao and Soujiro. If Battousai wanted them dead, they would be dead, there was no doubt about it now. They needed to find Sanosuke and the other guests, like Hiko, Yahiko, and of course Kenshin.

Enishi picked up the body of Tomoe and carried her back towards the room that contained the unconscious forms of Misao and Soujiro. Then the quartet walked silently, examining the hallways for any trace of the muscle bound fighter.

The red bandana lying in the hallway was their clue. A door slightly ajar stood nearby. Within the room lay the unconscious form of Sanosuke Sagara. Megumi rushed to his side, shocked at seeing such a huge man knocked unconscious, but was relieved to find him breathing, shallowly, but breathing.

Aoshi didn't wait around. "I want no arguments; I can take care of myself." He looked directly at Kaoru, leaving no room for protest. "I'm going to find the others then return."

Kaoru ignored his no-protest look. "You can't go alone!" She cried frantic to protect him. She rushed to his side and held his arm tight within her small hands, determined to not allow him to make a hero of himself at the expense of his life.

Aoshi shook off her grasp. "I must do this." He lifted his hands to her cheeks and cupped them gently. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, stifling any further protests. He didn't want her in danger. With Tomoe dead, he knew that Enishi was innocent of the murders. There was safety in numbers.

Aoshi pulled back from the kiss, leaving Kaoru slightly dazed and with tears in her eyes. He hated seeing her cry. "Take Sagara to the other room." He turned on his heel and left them behind.

No one else argued.

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

"We have to do something!" Yahiko protested as he paced in front of Hiko and Shishio. It was still unnerving to be before the formerly mummified man from the past. He certainly didn't trust him.

Hiko leaned back and calmly drank from his jug of sake. He watched the boy with some amusement. "You know that we are not allowed to interfere."

Shishio's cinnamon eyes grew darker in hatred. His Yume was dead at the hands of the Battousai. This life he had not committed the sins of his past, but he was still forced to be impotent in regards to the cursed Battousai. "The Battousai will die at my hands," he vowed.

"If you kill him then this nightmare will never end." Hiko explained calmly. "I've explained this countless times. We must not interfere. If we were to accidentally kill him then all this would be for nothing and history would simply repeat itself in the future over and over."

Yahiko growled in frustration. "We can't just sit around and wait for everyone to die!" His outrage wasn't one-sided.

Hiko stood, towering over the two other males. "Look, I don't like sitting here being the observer either. However, if we interfere the deaths are pointless. They will happen over and over. This time around is the best chance to end the curse."

Yahiko leaned against the wall, head hitting the stones behind him. "I know you're right, we haven't all been re-incarnated at the same time before. Besides, he's not killing everyone."

"He has killed too many," Shishio retorted. He wanted no more of this conversation and stormed out of the room.

Hiko watched him leave with resignation. "You're going to let him go?" Yahiko demanded in shock.

Hiko shrugged as he sat back down and drank some more sake. "It's his business if he wishes to die. You and I, and the ones he had knocked unconscious were never killed in his former incarnation. The others were victims, accident or not. It is not our place to interfere."

**OOOOOoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO******

It didn't take long to find Himura. Aoshi had only turned a few corners before he discovered the red haired man walking with a purpose down the hallway. Kenshin didn't offer his customary smile but frowned in greeting.

Kenshin's normally peaceful amethyst eyes were now a molten gold. "She belongs to me," he spoke softly. "You are not a part of this," he glanced sadly at his blade wanting to raise it to destroy his rival. He was not allowed.

He grinned suddenly, chilling Aoshi to the bone. He found himself paralyzed by the hypnotic look in those golden eyes. Mentally he fought the unseen force but to no avail. What sort of magic held him prisoner?

The Battousai grinned, a mischievous gleam rose in his eyes, "I can not kill you with this, but I'm sure I can figure another way." The dull side of the sword struck Aoshi upside the head, and he crumpled to the floor much to his dismay.

The darkness in Aoshi's mind was disturbed when he awoke. Only he found himself in chains, upside down in a boat that was rapidly filling with water as it sank in the moat outside Enish's castle. The water that found its way through his nose woke him rudely.

He twisted so that he lay on his back and tried to pull out his trusted kodachi blades that were within the sheathes under the back of his shirt. He had put them back in that position when he went in search of Kaoru and found her with Enishi.

The blades were sharp, but he could only hope that they could defeat the thick metal of the chains that held him. Aoshi was a skilled diver so if worse came to worse he might be able to struggle to shore in spite of the chains.

All he knew was that he must find a way to Kaoru. He knew who the Battousai was. He also knew that although the Battousai and Kenshin shared a body, it was not the same person.

There was a splash nearby. Aoshi wanted to scream in outrage. How dare Battousai come back now! He was almost free, he could sense it. The water was rising but he would escape, he had to.

A pair of familiar, but not unexpected amber eyes glew in the dark. "Having some trouble I see?" Hajime Saito asked with a mocking tilt to his voice as he used his lock pick to undo the chains that would have been the death of the Californian detective.

"I would have been fine," Aoshi answered as he rubbed his sore wrists and replaced his swords into their sheathes. He gazed at the chains, he had made some progress. Another half hour and he would have broken the chains. Too bad the boat had about another minute's worth of buoyancy.

"I'm sure," Saito agreed. He pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes and watched for a moment as the boat sank completely in the water. "Good thing Yukishiro doesn't keep alligators in this water."

For a moment, the Battousai was forgotten as the two men swam to shore. After climbing out of the water they regarded one another. "Kaoru is safe," Saito stated more than asked. He watched his old friend through narrowed, suspicious eyes.

"I won't allow anything to happen to her." Aoshi assured him, meeting his gaze head-on.

**TBC**


	13. End of a Curse

**Crimson Tears: Chapter 13**

**End of a Curse**

The Battousai was walking back towards the castle after disposing of the pesky detective Shinomori. He was interfering with his duties. It was time for him to claim his woman and be done with this mess.

He was just outside the castle's arching doorway when someone stood in his way with a sword drawn. A sharp and deadly sword drawn one might add. "You killed her," Shishio greeted with his face contorted into a sneer.

"I killed a lot of hers, to whom might you be referring?" The Battousai asked with a quirked auburn brow. He waited until the angry man standing before him, intent on murdering him no doubt, charged at him in a rage.

Then without much effort at all, Battousai pulled out his blade at the last moment and impaled the other man through the heart, on the left side of his chest. He watched in morbid fascination, amber eyes gleaming as the sharp sword slid easily into the other man's flesh.

When Shishio had fallen to the ground in a sick thud, Battousai held his body down with his boot clad foot and pulled his sword out of the mess. He frowned at the blood that marred his blade and flung it away with a flick of his wrist.

Sighing, Battousai sheathed his blade. "Now I'm going to be behind. I hate being late."

It wasn't long until he ran into Kaoru in the corridors of the large castle. "Oh thank goodness it's you Kenshin!" She cried, not noticing the amber eyes and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "So many people are missing! We've been looking all over for you!"

With a smile lifting the corners of his lips, Battousai brought his own arms around her small frame and drew her closer to the contours of his lithe body. He sighed deeply at the pleasure she gave him held in his embrace.

For a moment amber flashed to amethyst before reverting back to the goldenrod of doom shade that had been the last sight of too many in the past few days. Battousai pulled back and grabbed hold of Kaoru's hand. "Come, we need to get somewhere safe."

Kaoru didn't argue and allowed herself to be led by the man at her side. There seemed something odd about him, but she trusted Kenshin with her life. The two had traveled further into the hallways of the castle and further away from the other inhabitants.

Abruptly, Battousai pushed Kaoru against a wall and in that moment, the journalist felt genuine fear. From somewhere Kenshin had pulled a large sword and was holding it against her neck. She could already feel a thin line of blood forming on her delicate throat.

The smell of the blood seemed to awaken something in the man before her. His eyes cleared to a purplish hue and in that moment, a clear revelation passed through them both of their past life together.

"Koishi, I will always love you," Kenshin revealed, voice strained as he fought the curse that was forcing him to take the life of his beloved. Tears began to fall from Kaoru's shocked sapphire jewels, both her own and the ones that he could no longer shed.

With great effort, Kenshin managed to pull the sword away from her neck, the sight of her crimson tears gave him enhanced strength to resist. "Please Kaoru, run. I can not stop the bloodshed. You above all others know this."

Kaoru took the opportunity and ran away. Kenshin's words trailed after her as he fought to give her a head start. "There is only one way to end this curse!" He called. "Death must come to one of us by the hand of the other."

Kaoru didn't pause to consider his words as she continued to run. But when the Battousai took charge again, her head start became non-existent as he stood before her by some unnatural ability. His sword was raised again and he was struggling within himself. "I would suggest that you kill me love, for I would rather be cursed forever than be the one to kill you."

While the two stood before one another in a contest of wills company had arrived in the form of one Aoshi Shinomori. Right as Kenshin had lost to the bloodlust of the Battousai Aoshi knocked him against the stone wall and sent his sword loose out of his hands.

Aoshi then used his own swords to stab the Battousai in the chest on either side, injuring him mortally. He remained straddling the red haired man as he watched sanity return. "Why?" Kenshin asked in confusion as he laid his hand in the blood he felt pouring from his chest. He was having difficulty breathing now with the holes that had been pierced through his lungs.

Kaoru was leaning over him the moment that Aoshi removed her person to watch the life flow out of the murderer that was his friend in a former life. "Because I vowed to protect Kaoru. I had willingly accepted the curse to be here at this moment."

"Kaoru must be the one to kill me," Kenshin protested, looking past Aoshi and lifting his hand with great effort to Kaoru's alabaster cheeks. "I am dying love, just make the final blow and we shall both be free of this curse."

Kaoru nodded her head as she laid her left hand to cover his right one on that rested upon her cheek. She could feel the warmth of the blood from his fingers. Aoshi handed her his sword and placed the fingers of her right hand around the hilt. He placed it over Kenshin's heart and met the other man's eyes for a moment. There was a silent understanding between the two men.

Then with eyes locked to Kenshin's Kaoru ran the blade through the man's heart. He smiled at her as a tear trailed out of his amethyst orbs. They both knew that they were free of the curse. He swallowed with great effort and looked back at Aoshi. "Thank you for keeping your promise and keeping her safe, even from me."

His attention was centered back at Kaoru, as his desire was to have the vision of her fill his sight during his last breath. Without thinking Kaoru allowed her face to be drawn to Kenshin's when he weakly fisted his hand in her hair to pull her close. Their lips met in a final farewell as a lifetime of passion was shared in their merging.

When Kaoru pulled back, Kenshin was at peace eternal with a small smile on his face. Aoshi gritted his teeth at the display, but he really couldn't fault the man for kissing his soul mate in his final moments of life.

From the shadows, Saitou didn't allow his presence to be known. It would seem that Aoshi Shinomori forgot all about the man that freed him from an untimely watery grave. He was sorely tempted to run to Kaoru and reveal to her his love.

But, something stopped him. He saw the tender look in Aoshi's eyes as he looked at Kaoru as she allowed herself to be gathered in his arms.

Hajime's shoulders slumped as the tension eased out of them. His heart sinks to the bottomless depths he was all too familiar with as he realized she was happy now and that the curse was finally beaten. He wanted nothing more than her happiness. "I still have my son and I know that Kaoru still cares about me. That will have to be enough." He spoke to himself quietly of his decision.

Kaoru seemed to sense him and peered over Aoshi's shoulder. Her eyes widen with shock and Shinomori freed her of his embrace. Kaoru ran to Saitou and hugged him for all she was worth. She buried her tear stained face against his neck where her cool breath hit his heated skin.

Saitou held her to him as tightly as he can because he knew this opportunity will soon vanish. "Why?" She whispered near his ear. It was such a simple question and yet demanded so much of him.

Internally, Saitou cursed Megumi once more. "I thought it would be best for you to move on to a better life. I wanted you to have a better opportunity than any I could grant you." He hugged her tight.

She looked up and tenderly pushed aside his unruly hair that had fallen over his eyes. "You will always have a special place in my heart."

Hugging her once more before relinquishing his hold, Saitou smiled solemnly. "I know." He watched as Aoshi stood behind her and placed his arms possessively around her waist.

Footsteps were heard approaching and the remaining individuals of the castle arrived. Hiko and Yahiko noticed the dead body of Kenshin with a mixture of sadness and relief in their expressions. Hiko kneeled over the body to give some sort of prayer while Yahiko pulled Kaoru away from Aoshi to talk to privately.

Enishi glanced at the strange man with the dark aura around him. "And who might you be?" He asked, raising a white-blond brow. Saitou pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He made an effort to blow his smoke in Enishi's face.

Sensing that the volcano was about to erupt, Hiko pulled Enishi down beside him near Kenshin's body. "I think I understand what all has happened." He waited until a disoriented Sanosuke being supported by Megumi and a dazed Soujiro and Misao arrived before he shared the curse with the five out-of-the-loop individuals.

Saitou crushed his cigarette under his foot before grabbing hold of Aoshi's shoulder in a rough clutch. "I'm not happy about this," he sneered. "If I had known you were going to take her away from me, I never would have let you come."

Aoshi shrugged as he removed Saitou's hand from his person and looked at him impassively. "You shouldn't have thrown her in my lap, especially with the whole fiancé idea and then using your former engagement ring."

Frustrated at losing a logic match, Saitou ran his fingers up to push back the four persistent locks of hair that consistently fell over his eyes. "That is something I'll regret until the day I die." He assured him in a deadly serious voice.

Aoshi offered a small smile and looked back over at Kaoru to where she stood crying with Yahiko about memories of a past life that were surely overwhelming them both. "If it's any consolation, it's something that I'll treasure for the rest of mine."

Saitou threatened him with a scowl, "You better or else I will not hesitate to kill you and take her back for myself."

**_A/N: This chapter was brief, but the epilogue will be posted in a few days time. Thanks for sticking with this tale, and I hope you have enjoyed it! BDN_**


	14. Epilogue

**Crimson Tears: Chapter 14**

**Epilogue: All things must End**

There was a knock at his door, Hajime Saitou ignored it. The mountain of paper work piled on top of his desk was enough to keep him busy. He didn't have time for social calls. Everyone could go to hell for all he cared.

He heard as the door creaked open and wasn't surprised when the shaft of light from the hallway revealed his visitor to be Kaoru Kamiya. Or at least, that was her former name.

In spite of himself, Saitou offered a rare half-smile to the woman before him. "How was the honeymoon?"

Kaoru grinned, a dreamy expression lit her eyes that made Saitou's stomach churn. "As if you have to ask," she teased. The teasing expression soon left her face and she shifted nervously.

Saitou crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched her curiously. She always did entertain him with her nervous gestures. It was quite comical normally to see the brave woman reduced to a bundle of unsure nerves. "Is there something else?"

Kaoru moved to sit on the edge of Saitou's desk. She stared at a fixed spot just beside his face, not looking at him directly. "Why did you do it?"

Saitou resists the urge to sigh. With forced fatherly affection, he placed his hand gently upon her forearm. Finally she looked directly at him. "I already told you why. I wanted what was best for you."

Kaoru smiled at him and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I was wondering if I could invite Aaron to join me at the zoo tomorrow with Aoshi." It was obvious that the woman missed the little boy.

"Of course," Saitou answered without reserve. "You will always be a part of our lives, you know that." He assured her.

A tear slipped unannounced from Kaoru's eye. "I really do love you Hajime," she started. Saitou put a finger over her lips to stop the words he didn't want to hear. Kaoru grabbed his wrist to pull his fingers away to continue.

"No, I need to tell you." She told him firmly. "I'm sad that things never seemed to work out for us, but I love Aoshi as well."

"Please don't say anything more," Saitou spoke softly. "I love you too, and I know that with Aoshi you will be loved, protected, and happy." He closed his eyes and found an inner strength to finish. "I'm happy for you, always."

**oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo**

Aoshi waited in the car for his wife to return. He couldn't help but grin when she pulled open the passenger door and slipped her limber body inside. He had too many memories of their honeymoon to not smile at the mental image her movements gave him.

"Everything is set. Aaron can come with us to the zoo tomorrow. He's such a great kid, you'll love him!" Kaoru exclaimed excited.

The grin never left his face as Aoshi reached to pull his wife over the consol into his lap with a mischievous smirk firmly in place. "I think we need to get started on some children on our own."

Kaoru wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed up against him making him light headed at her actions. She pulled back after a breathless kiss that had both of them slightly dazzed. "No, how about if we just practice for now?"

Aoshi pulled her back to him. "Even better."


End file.
